gyroskopen

Gyroskopen, or the gyroscope, is a device that measures or maintains orientation by exploiting the properties of a spinning rotor. A rapidly spinning mass resists changes to its axis of rotation, a consequence of angular momentum. When the device is moved, the rotor tends to precess rather than simply tilt, allowing sensors to infer angular velocity and attitude.

There are several implementations. Mechanical gyroscopes use a rotor mounted in gimbals to allow rotation about one or more axes. Optical gyroscopes—such as ring laser gyroscopes and fiber-optic gyroscopes—determine rotation by detecting the Sagnac effect with light. MEMS gyroscopes use tiny vibrating structures etched on semiconductor chips, enabling small, inexpensive sensors.

Historically, gyroscopic principles were demonstrated in the 19th century and led to practical stabilization devices in the early 20th century, notably by Elmer Sperry for ships and aircraft. Since then, gyros have evolved from large mechanical systems to compact, integrated sensors used in navigation and control systems worldwide, including spacecraft.

Applications include inertial navigation and attitude determination for aircraft, ships, submarines, missiles, and spacecraft; stabilization of cameras and antennas; and sensing rotation in consumer devices such as smartphones and drones. Modern systems often combine gyroscopes with accelerometers in inertial measurement units and use algorithms to correct drift.

Limitations include drift and bias over time, temperature sensitivity, and noise in small MEMS devices. To maintain accuracy, gyros are calibrated and fused with other sensors in Kalman-filter-based navigation systems. Ongoing development focuses on higher precision, lower power consumption, and resilience to vibration.