A gyroscope is a device that uses the principle of angular momentum to maintain orientation or to detect changes in direction.
🔹 Basic principle
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A gyroscope has a rotor (a wheel or disk) that spins rapidly around its axis.
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Due to the law of conservation of angular momentum, the spinning rotor tends to resist changes in its orientation.
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When an external force tries to tilt it, the rotor doesn’t move in the direction of the force directly but instead responds with precession (a shift of its axis at a right angle to the applied force).
🔹 Main types of gyroscopes
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Mechanical Gyroscope – traditional spinning wheel type, used in ships and older aircraft.
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Optical Gyroscope (FOG – Fiber Optic Gyroscope) – relies on light interference in optical fibers.
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Ring Laser Gyroscope (RLG) – uses laser beams in a closed loop.
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MEMS Gyroscope – micro-electromechanical sensors, found in smartphones, drones, and gaming devices.
🔹 Applications
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Navigation: ships, aircraft, spacecraft, and satellites.
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Smartphones & IoT: auto-rotating screens, VR/AR, motion sensing.
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Robotics & drones: stabilization and orientation control.
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Transportation: vehicle stability systems (e.g., Segway, self-driving cars).
📌 In short, a gyroscope is an “orientation keeper” that tells devices how they are positioned or how they are moving in three-dimensional space.
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