Gyro sensor - How does it work?

You've seen the gyro sensor. It has two arrow. How does it work? What does it do?

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12 Apr 2019
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Measure degrees

The Gyro sensor is used to detect degrees of a turn. Compared to the rotation sensor, that also detects turn degrees, the Gyro sensor is not connected to a specific motor and is not measuring how much the motor has rotate. It measures how much the robot has rotated. The two arrows are used to show us how to rotate it. If we rotate it in a direction different from the one shown by the arrows then the sensor will not detect anything. Connect your Gyro sensor to your brick and check the value detected by the sensor.

Gyro drift

Maybe it has already happen to some of you, but it is possible for the sensor to show measurements as if it is constantly turning despite you holding it stationary. This "Gyro drift" happens because the Gyro sensor has several internal sensors that share information and give us a combined value. This sensors are not measuring degrees, they are measuring acceleration. They measure how fast are we turning the sensor.

The "Gyro drift" happens when we connect the sensor to the brick and we are in the same time moving the sensor. The sensor things that moving it is its normal state and when we stop moving it, it measures a change in acceleration. To avoid this be very careful not to plug in the sensor while it is moving. Try to reproduce the "gyro drift" yourself and see how it happens!

Acceleration to Degrees

But if the sensor detects acceleration how could it give us degrees? It is not very difficult, we could just add a stopwatch, that measures the duration of the acceleration and with a couple of equations the sensor gives us degrees.

Courses and lessons with this Tutorial

This Tutorial is used in the following courses and lessons

Level D2. "Seafaring". Robotics with LEGO

The eighth level of the Robotics with LEGO curriculum for students in third or fourth grade.

In this level, students learn to use the fourth sensor in the robotics set - the gyro sensor. The robots are modeled after boats, yachts, and ships. With the help of the gyro sensor, students can set a course for their robots to a given angle and can detect deviations from the course. In open seas, there may be sea-monsters and the robots are being programmed to detect a sudden change in acceleration with the help of the said sensor.

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Lesson 1 - Pedalo for fishing

Introduction

Today we would build a pedalo for fishing. Have you event been on a pedalo? Have you see pedalos? Where?

content picture

Do you know that motor boats are not allowed in lakes and dams as they disrupt the animals. That's why today we are going fishing with a Pedalo.

Finishing boats and pedalos for fishing use an device called sonar, to detect large groups of fish. Our pedalo would use exactly such device to detect the group of fish and catch up with it.

Robotics with LEGO - Level 2.5 - Maritime Journey

The fourth level of the Robotics with LEGO curriculum for students from fifth to twelfth grades.

In this level students focus on the rotational sensor that is part of every motor in the robotics set. Students also learn to use the fourth sensor in the robotics set - the gyro sensor.
First few robot constructions imitate sea-animals and their behavior. Students create programs that check whether the robot's claws or pecks have successfully caught an object. That sensor in the motors allows the robots to go back in their lairs even after the use of unlimited movement. The rest of the robots are modeled after boats, yachts, and ships. With the help of the gyro sensor, students can set a course for their robots to a given angle and can detect deviations from the course. In open seas, there may be sea-monsters and the robots are being programmed to detect a sudden change in acceleration with the help of the said sensor.

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Lesson 4 - Sailboat

introduction

Robotics with LEGO - Level 4.0 - Kinesthetic and Memory Game (in development)

The seventh level of the Robotics with LEGO curriculum for students in sixth or seventh grade.

In this level, student develop a memory training game. The player must remember series of actions like press a button, shake a pole, pull a lever, show one of many colors. In order to program the game, students use many variables and modify their states. Students create their own custom sounds and images, in order to reflect their own personality in the game. In the end of the level, the game stores top scores even after a full shut down with the help of text files.