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How Gyroscopes Got So Small

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Have you ever wondered how your phone knows which way it’s pointing, or how they got so small? In this video, we trace the incredible 100-year evolution of gyroscope technology, from Lawrence Sperry’s first airplane autopilot to ring-laser gyroscopes and the tiny MEMS sensors inside modern smartphones. Discover how gyroscopes and accelerometers measure rotation and movement, and learn more about how the principles behind these early mechanical systems were eventually condensed into sensors on a chip just 1mm wide.

Short on time? Feel free to skip ahead in this video using the chapter links below.

00:00 Lawrence Sperry's Autopilot

01:16 How a Gyroscope Works

03:09 Gyroscopes in the V2 Rocket

04:50 The Problem With Gyroscopes

05:21 Ring-Laser Gyroscopes

06:25 How MEMS Gyroscopes Work

07:49 The Tiny Gyroscopes in Your Phone

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References:

https://primalnebula.com/how-gyroscopes-got-so-small/

Script: Ewan Cunningham

Animation: Guillaume Bouché, Ewan Cunningham

Narrator: Beau Stucki

Special thanks to @BreakingTaps for his MEMS device models!

Music used in this video is licensed from Artlist and Epidemic Sound.

#Gyroscope #Engineering #Technology

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