View source for Gyroscope

{{Short description|Device for measuring or maintaining the orientation and angular velocity}}
{{About||other uses and non-rotary gyroscopes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
[[File:3D Gyroscope.png|thumb|250px|right|A gyroscope]]
[[File:Gyroscope operation.gif|thumb|right|A gyroscope in operation, showing the freedom of rotation in all three axes. The rotor will maintain its spin axis direction regardless of the orientation of the outer frame.]]

A '''gyroscope''' (from [[Ancient Greek]] γῦρος ''gŷros'', "round" and σκοπέω ''skopéō'', "to look") is a device used for measuring or maintaining [[Orientation (geometry)|orientation]] and [[angular velocity]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/gyroscope|website=Oxford Dictionaries|title=Gyroscope|access-date=4 May 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505003851/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/gyroscope|archive-date=5 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kabai|first=Sándor|title=Gyroscope|work=[[Wolfram Demonstrations Project]]|url-status=live|date=28 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430090205/http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/Gyroscope/|archive-date=30 April 2008|url=https://demonstrations.wolfram.com/Gyroscope/|access-date=|publisher=[[Wolfram Research|Wolfram]]}}</ref> It is a spinning wheel or disc in which the axis of rotation (spin axis) is free to assume any orientation by itself. When rotating, the orientation of this axis is unaffected by tilting or rotation of the mounting, according to the [[angular momentum#Conservation of angular momentum|conservation of angular momentum]].

Gyroscopes based on other operating principles also exist, such as the microchip-packaged [[Vibrating structure gyroscope#MEMS gyroscopes|MEMS gyroscopes]] found in electronic devices (sometimes called '''gyrometers'''), solid-state [[ring laser gyroscope|ring lasers]], [[fibre optic gyroscope]]s, and the extremely sensitive [[quantum gyroscope]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Tao|first1=W.|last2=Liu|first2=T.|last3=Zheng|first3=R.|last4=Feng|first4=H.|title=Gait Analysis Using Wearable Sensors|journal=[[Sensors (journal)|Sensors]]|location=Basel, Switzerland|date=2012|volume=12|issue=2|pages=2255–2283|doi=10.3390/s120202255|pmid=22438763 |pmc=3304165 |bibcode=2012Senso..12.2255T |doi-access=free }}.</ref>

Applications of gyroscopes include [[inertial navigation system]]s, such as in the [[Hubble Space Telescope]], or inside the steel hull of a submerged submarine. Due to their precision, gyroscopes are also used in [[gyrotheodolite]]s to maintain direction in tunnel mining.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://discovermagazine.com/2009/may/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-tunnels |title=20 things you didn't know about tunnels |work=[[Discover (magazine)|Discover]] |date=29 April 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615212002/http://discovermagazine.com/2009/may/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-tunnels |archive-date=15 June 2009}}</ref> Gyroscopes can be used to construct [[gyrocompass]]es, which complement or replace [[Magnetic Compass|magnetic compasses]] (in ships, aircraft and spacecraft, vehicles in general), to assist in stability (bicycles, motorcycles, and ships) or be used as part of an [[inertial guidance system]].

MEMS gyroscopes are popular in some consumer electronics, such as smartphones.

==Description and diagram==
[[File:Gyroscope wheel-text.png|thumb|200px|right|Diagram of a gyro wheel. Reaction arrows about the output axis (blue) correspond to forces applied about the input axis (green), and vice versa.]]

A gyroscope is an instrument, consisting of a wheel mounted into two or three [[gimbal]]s providing pivoted supports, for allowing the wheel to rotate about a single axis. A set of three gimbals, one mounted on the other with orthogonal pivot axes, may be used to allow a wheel mounted on the innermost gimbal to have an orientation remaining independent of the orientation, in space, of its support.

In the case of a gyroscope with two gimbals, the outer gimbal, which is the gyroscope frame, is mounted so as to pivot about an axis in its own plane determined by the support. This outer gimbal possesses one degree of rotational freedom and its axis possesses none. The second gimbal, inner gimbal, is mounted in the gyroscope frame (outer gimbal) so as to pivot about an axis in its own plane that is always perpendicular to the pivotal axis of the gyroscope frame (outer gimbal). This inner gimbal has two degrees of rotational freedom.

The axle of the spinning wheel (the rotor) defines the spin axis. The rotor is constrained to spin about an axis, which is always perpendicular to the axis of the inner gimbal. So the rotor possesses three degrees of rotational freedom and its axis possesses two.
The rotor responds to a force applied to the input axis by a reaction force to the output axis.

A gyroscope flywheel will roll or resist about the output axis depending upon whether the output gimbals are of a free or fixed configuration. An example of some free-output-gimbal devices is the [[Spacecraft attitude control|attitude control]] gyroscopes used to sense or measure the pitch, roll and yaw attitude angles in a spacecraft or aircraft.

[[File:Gyroscope wheel animation.gif|thumb|200px|right|Animation of a gyro wheel in action]]

The centre of gravity of the rotor can be in a fixed position. The rotor simultaneously spins about one axis and is capable of oscillating about the two other axes, and it is free to turn in any direction about the fixed point (except for its inherent resistance caused by rotor spin). Some gyroscopes have mechanical equivalents substituted for one or more of the elements. For example, the spinning rotor may be suspended in a fluid, instead of being mounted in gimbals. A [[control moment gyroscope]] (CMG) is an example of a fixed-output-gimbal device that is used on spacecraft to hold or maintain a desired attitude angle or pointing direction using the gyroscopic resistance force.

In some special cases, the outer gimbal (or its equivalent) may be omitted so that the rotor has only two degrees of freedom. In other cases, the centre of gravity of the rotor may be offset from the axis of oscillation, and thus the centre of gravity of the rotor and the centre of suspension of the rotor may not coincide.

==History==
[[File:Foucault's gyroscope.jpg|thumb|right|Gyroscope designed by [[Léon Foucault]] in 1852. Replica built by Dumoulin-Froment for the Exposition universelle in 1867. [[Conservatoire national des arts et métiers|National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts museum]], Paris.]]

===Early similar devices===
Essentially, a gyroscope is a [[Spinning top|top]] combined with a pair of [[gimbal]]s. Tops were invented in many different civilizations, including classical Greece, Rome, and China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/scitech/display.cfm?ST_ID=327 |title=Brief History of Gyroscopes |last1=Range|first1=Shannon K'doah |last2=Mullins|first2=Jennifer |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710113230/http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/scitech/display.cfm?ST_ID=327 |archive-date=10 July 2015}}</ref> Most of these were not utilized as instruments.

The first known apparatus similar to a gyroscope (the "Whirling Speculum" or "Serson's Speculum") was invented by [[John Serson]] in 1743. It was used as a level, to locate the horizon in foggy or misty conditions.

The first instrument used more like an actual gyroscope was made by [[Johann Bohnenberger]] of Germany, who first wrote about it in 1817. At first he called it the "Machine".<ref>Johann G. F. Bohnenberger (1817) "Beschreibung einer Maschine zur Erläuterung der Gesetze der Umdrehung der Erde um ihre Axe, und der Veränderung der Lage der letzteren" (Description of a machine for the explanation of the laws of rotation of the Earth around its axis, and of the change of the orientation of the latter), [http://www.ion.org/museum/files/File_1.pdf Tübinger Blätter für Naturwissenschaften und Arzneikunde] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719070449/http://www.ion.org/museum/files/File_1.pdf |date=19 July 2011 }}, vol. 3, pages 72–83.</ref><ref>The French mathematician [[Siméon Denis Poisson|Poisson]] mentions Bohnenberger's machine as early as 1813: Simeon-Denis Poisson (1813) "Mémoire sur un cas particulier du mouvement de rotation des corps pesans" [Memoir on a special case of rotational movement of massive bodies], ''Journal de l'École Polytechnique'', vol. 9, pages 247–262. Available online at: [http://www.ion.org/museum/files/File_2.pdf Ion.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719070631/http://www.ion.org/museum/files/File_2.pdf |date=19 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last1=Wagner|first1=Jörg F.|title=The Machine of Bohnenberger|date=2014|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39905-3_6|work=The History of Theoretical, Material and Computational Mechanics – Mathematics Meets Mechanics and Engineering|pages=81–100|editor-last=Stein|editor-first=Erwin|series=Lecture Notes in Applied Mathematics and Mechanics|place=Berlin, Heidelberg|publisher=Springer|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-642-39905-3_6|isbn=978-3-642-39905-3|access-date=20 February 2021|last2=Trierenberg|first2=Andor}}</ref> Bohnenberger's machine was based on a rotating massive sphere.<ref>A photograph of Bohnenberger's instrument is available on-line here: [http://www.ion.org/museum/item_view.cfm?cid=5&scid=12&iid=24 Ion.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928044532/http://www.ion.org/museum/item_view.cfm?cid=5&scid=12&iid=24 |date=28 September 2007 }} ION Museum: The Machine of Bohnenberger.</ref> In 1832, American Walter R. Johnson developed a similar device that was based on a rotating disc.<ref>Walter R. Johnson (January 1832). [https://books.google.com/books?id=BjwPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA266-IA2 "Description of an apparatus called the rotascope for exhibiting several phenomena and illustrating certain laws of rotary motion"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819023327/https://books.google.com/books?id=BjwPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA266-IA2 |date=19 August 2016 }}, ''The American Journal of Science and Art'', 1st series, vol. 21, no. 2, pages 265–280.</ref><ref>Drawings of Walter R. Johnson's gyroscope ("rotascope") were used to illustrate phenomena in the following lecture: E.S. Snell (1856) [https://books.google.com/books?id=fEyT4sTd7ZkC&pg=PA175 "On planetary disturbances,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819023557/https://books.google.com/books?id=fEyT4sTd7ZkC&pg=PA175 |date=19 August 2016 }} Board of Regents, ''Tenth Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution....'' (Washington, D.C.: Cornelius Wendell, 1856), pages 175–190.</ref> The French mathematician [[Pierre-Simon Laplace]], working at the [[École Polytechnique]] in Paris, recommended the machine for use as a teaching aid, and thus it came to the attention of [[Léon Foucault]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ion.org/museum/item_view.cfm?cid=5&scid=12&iid=24 |title=ION Museum: The Machine of Bohnenberger |access-date=24 May 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928044532/http://www.ion.org/museum/item_view.cfm?cid=5&scid=12&iid=24 |archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref>

===Foucault's gyroscope===
{{main|Foucault gyroscope}}

In 1852, Foucault used it in an experiment demonstrating the rotation of the Earth.<ref>L. Foucault (1852) "Sur les phénomènes d’orientation des corps tournants entraînés par un axe fixe à la surface de la terre – Nouveaux signes sensibles du mouvement diurne" (On the phenomena of the orientation of rotating bodies carried along by an axis fixed to the surface of the earth – New perceptible signs of the daily movement), ''Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l’Académie des Sciences (Paris)'', vol. 35, pages 424–427. Available on-line (in French): [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k2992n/f428.image Gallica.bnf.fr] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716224438/http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k2992n/f428.image |date=16 July 2012 }}</ref><ref>Circa 1852, Friedrich Fessel, a German mechanic and former secondary school teacher, independently developed a gyroscope. See: '''(1)''' Julius Plücker (September 1853) "Über die Fessel'sche rotationsmachine", ''Annalen der Physik'', vol. 166, no. 9, pages 174–177; '''(2)''' Julius Plücker (October 1853) "Noch ein wort über die Fessel'sche rotationsmachine", ''Annalen der Physik'', vol. 166, no. 10, pages 348–351; '''(3)''' Charles Wheatstone (1864) [https://books.google.com/books?id=CtGEAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA307 "On Fessel's gyroscope"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819020402/https://books.google.com/books?id=CtGEAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA307 |date=19 August 2016 }}, ''Proceedings of the Royal Society of London'', vol. 7, pages 43–48.</ref>

It was Foucault who gave the device its modern name, in an experiment to see (Greek ''skopeein'', to see) the Earth's rotation (Greek ''gyros'', circle or rotation),<ref name="OED">{{cite book|title=The Oxford English Dictionary|edition=2nd|year=1989|volume=VI|page=985|url=https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/82917|access-date=11 March 2023|archive-date=15 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915102809/https://www.oed.com/dictionary/gyroscope_n|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | author-link= Léon Foucault |first=Léon |last=Foucault | journal=Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des Sciences | publisher=Gauthier-Villars | title= Mécanique: Sur les phénomènes d'orientation des corps tournants entraînés par un axe fixe à la surface de la Terre. Nouveaux signes sensibles du mouvement diurne| issue=Week of Monday 27 September 1852|volume=35 | year=1852b | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KHJFAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA421 | language=fr|page=427}}</ref> which was visible in the 8 to 10 minutes before friction slowed the spinning rotor.

===Commercialization===
In the 1860s, the advent of electric motors made it possible for a gyroscope to spin indefinitely; this led to the first prototype [[heading indicator]]s, and a rather more complicated device, the [[gyrocompass]]. The first functional gyrocompass was patented in 1904 by German inventor [[Hermann Anschütz-Kaempfe]].<ref>Hermann Anschütz-Kaempfe and Friedrich von Schirach, [http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=DE&NR=182855C&KC=C&FT=D&date=&DB=&locale= "Kreiselapparat"]{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (Gyroscope) Deutsches Reichspatent no. 182855 (filed: 27 March 1904; issued: 2 April 1907).</ref> American [[Elmer Sperry]] followed with his own design later that year, and other nations soon realized the military importance of the invention—in an age in which naval prowess was the most significant measure of military power—and created their own gyroscope industries. The [[Sperry Gyroscope Company]] quickly expanded to provide aircraft and naval stabilizers as well, and other gyroscope developers followed suit.<ref>MacKenzie, Donald. ''Inventing Accuracy: A Historical Sociology of Nuclear Missile Guidance''. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1990. pp. 31–40. {{ISBN|0-262-13258-3}}</ref>{{full citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Circa 1911 the L. T. Hurst Mfg Co of Indianapolis started producing the "Hurst gyroscope" a toy gyroscope with a pull string and pedestal. Manufacture was at some point switched to Chandler Mfg Co (still branded Hurst). The product was later renamed to a "Chandler gyroscope", presumably because Chandler Mfg Co. took over rights to the gyroscope. Chandler continued to produce the toy until the company was purchased by TEDCO Inc. in 1982. The gyroscope is still produced by TEDCO today.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/02/tedco_toys_cool_company_history_gre.html |title=TEDCO Toys – Cool company history, great science kits |last=Anon |work=TEDCO Toys company website |publisher=O'Reilly Media Inc |access-date=23 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309071225/https://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/02/tedco_toys_cool_company_history_gre.html |archive-date=9 March 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gyroscope.com/history-of-the-tedco-gyroscope.asp |title=History of the Tedco Gyroscope |publisher=Brightfusion Ltd |access-date=10 May 2024}}</ref>

In the first several decades of the 20th century, other inventors attempted (unsuccessfully) to use gyroscopes as the basis for early [[flight recorder|black box]] navigational systems by creating a stable platform from which accurate acceleration measurements could be performed (in order to bypass the need for star sightings to calculate position). Similar principles were later employed in the development of [[inertial navigation system]]s for [[ballistic missile]]s.<ref>MacKenzie, Donald. ''Inventing Accuracy: A Historical Sociology of Nuclear Missile Guidance''. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1990. pp. 40–42. {{ISBN|0-262-13258-3}}</ref>{{full citation needed|date=July 2022}}

During World War II, the gyroscope became the prime component for aircraft and anti-aircraft gun sights.<ref>[http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=PiEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=86&query=destroyer+escort The Little Top That Aims a Gun] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710151152/http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=PiEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=86&query=destroyer+escort |date=10 July 2011 }} by Gold Sanders, ''[[Popular Science]]'', July 1945</ref> After the war, the race to miniaturize gyroscopes for guided missiles and weapons navigation systems resulted in the development and manufacturing of so-called '''midget gyroscopes''' that weighed less than {{convert|3|oz|g}} and had a diameter of approximately {{convert|1|in|cm}}. Some of these miniaturized gyroscopes could reach a speed of 24,000 revolutions per minute in less than 10 seconds.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nNwDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA148|title=Popular Mechanics|first=Hearst|last=Magazines|date=1 March 1954|publisher=Hearst Magazines|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202032244/https://books.google.com/books?id=nNwDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA148|archive-date=2 February 2017}}</ref>

Gyroscopes continue to be an engineering challenge. For example, the axle bearings have to be extremely accurate. A small amount of friction is deliberately introduced to the bearings, since otherwise an accuracy of better than <math>10^{-7}</math> of an inch (2.5&nbsp;nm) would be required.{{sfn|Feynman|Gottlieb|Leighton|2013|pp=148–149}}

Three-axis MEMS-based gyroscopes are also used in portable electronic devices such as [[tablet (computer)|tablet]]s,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/|title=iPad – Compare Models|website=Apple|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024015359/http://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/|archive-date=24 October 2012}}</ref> [[smartphone]]s,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone-4-Gyroscope-Teardown/3156/1|title=iPhone 4 Gyroscope Teardown|date=24 June 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111124144402/http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone-4-Gyroscope-Teardown/3156/1|archive-date=24 November 2011|access-date=11 November 2011}}</ref> and [[smartwatch]]es.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29107354|title=Smartwatches: Specs and reviews for the leading models|date=9 September 2014|last=Kelon|first=Leo|newspaper=[[BBC News]]|department=Technology|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150828140736/http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29107354|archive-date=28 August 2015}}</ref> This adds to the 3-axis acceleration sensing ability available on previous generations of devices. Together these sensors provide 6 component motion sensing; accelerometers for X, Y, and Z movement, and gyroscopes for measuring the extent and rate of rotation in space (roll, pitch and yaw). Some devices<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 June 2018|title=Best Android phones with Gyroscope and Accelerator|url=https://aptgadget.com/android-phones-gyroscope-accelerator/|access-date=9 December 2020|website=AptGadget.com|language=en-US|archive-date=26 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126172745/https://aptgadget.com/android-phones-gyroscope-accelerator/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.safaribooksonline.com/library/view/basic-sensors-in/9781449309480/ch05.html|title=Basic Sensors in iOS|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723214608/https://www.safaribooksonline.com/library/view/basic-sensors-in/9781449309480/ch05.html|archive-date=23 July 2015|access-date=23 July 2015}}</ref> additionally incorporate a [[magnetometer]] to provide absolute angular measurements relative to the Earth's magnetic field. Newer [[Vibrating structure gyroscope#MEMS gyroscopes|MEMS-based inertial measurement units]] incorporate up to all nine axes of sensing in a single integrated circuit package, providing inexpensive and widely available motion sensing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.st.com/web/en/catalog/sense_power/FM89/SC1448/PF258556 |title=LSM9DS0 iNEMO inertial module:3D accelerometer, 3D gyroscope, 3D magnetometer - STMicroelectronics |access-date=23 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723233203/http://www.st.com/web/en/catalog/sense_power/FM89/SC1448/PF258556 |archive-date=23 July 2015}}</ref>

== Gyroscopic principles ==
All spinning objects have gyroscopic properties. The main properties that an object can experience in any gyroscopic motion are [[Axial parallelism|rigidity in space]] and [[precession]].

=== Rigidity in space ===
{{main|Axial parallelism}}
Rigidity in space describes the principle that a gyroscope remains in the fixed position on the plane in which it is spinning, unaffected by the Earth's rotation. For example, a bike wheel. Early forms of gyroscope (not then known by the name) were used to demonstrate the principle.<ref name="The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and General Literature 1890 p. 351">{{cite book | title=The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and General Literature | publisher=R.S. Peale | issue=v. 11 | year=1890 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wqwMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA351 | access-date=2022-12-02 | page=351|quote=Under the title of precession instruments, various pieces of apparatus, involving the gyroscope principle, have been in use for a number of years for illustrating the precession of the equinoxes, and the parallelism of the earth's axis as it revolves round the sun.}}</ref>

===Precession===
{{main|Axial precession}}
A simple case of precession, also known as steady precession, can be described by the following relation to Moment:

:<math>\sum M_x = -I{\phi'}^2 \sin\theta \cos\theta +I_z\phi' \sin\theta(\phi' \cos\theta + \psi' ) </math>

where  <math>\phi'</math> represents precession,  <math>\psi'</math> is represented by spin, <math>\theta</math> is the nutation angle, and <math>I</math> represents inertia along its respective axis. This relation is only valid with the Moment along the Y and Z axes are equal to 0.

The equation can be further reduced noting that the angular velocity along the z-axis is equal to the sum of the Precession and the Spin: <math>\omega_z = \phi' \cos \theta + \psi'</math>, Where <math>\omega_z </math> represents the angular velocity along the z axis.

:<math>\sum M_x =  -I{\psi'}^2 \sin \theta \cos \theta + I_z \psi' (\sin\theta)\omega_z
</math>

or

:<math>\sum M_x = \psi' \sin \theta (I_z\omega_z-I\psi' \cos \theta)</math><ref>{{Cite book|last=Hibbeler|first=R.C|title=Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics Fourteenth Edition|publisher=[[Pearson Prentice Hall]]|year=2016|location=Hoboken, New Jersey|pages=627–629}}</ref>{{full citation needed|reason=ISBN needed|date=July 2022}}

Gyroscopic [[precession]] is torque induced. It is the rate of change of the angular momentum that is produced by the applied torque. Precession produces counterintuitive dynamic results such as a [[Top (toy)|spinning top]] not falling over. Precession is used in aerospace applications for sensing changes of attitude and direction.

==Contemporary uses==
===Steadicam===
{{Main|Steadicam}}
A [[Steadicam]] rig was employed during the filming of the 1983 film ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', in conjunction with two gyroscopes for extra stabilization, to film the background plates for the [[speeder bike]] chase. Steadicam inventor [[Garrett Brown]] operated the shot, walking through a redwood forest, running the camera at one frame per second. When projected at 24 frames per second, it gave the impression of flying through the air at perilous speeds.<ref>Brown, Garrett. "Return of the Jedi", ''[[American Cinematographer]]'', June 1983.</ref><ref name="EmpireOfDreams">''Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy'' ''Star Wars Trilogy'' Box Set DVD documentary, [2004]</ref>

===Heading indicator===
{{Main|Heading indicator}}
The heading indicator or directional gyro has an axis of rotation that is set horizontally, pointing north. Unlike a magnetic compass, it does not seek north. When being used in an airplane, for example, it will slowly drift away from north and will need to be reoriented periodically, using a magnetic compass as a reference.{{sfn|Feynman|Gottlieb|Leighton|2013|pp=115–135}}

===Gyrocompass===
{{Main article|Gyrocompass}}
Unlike a directional gyro or heading indicator, a gyrocompass seeks north. It detects the rotation of the Earth about its axis and seeks the ''true'' north, rather than the ''magnetic'' north. Gyrocompasses usually have built-in damping to prevent overshoot when re-calibrating from sudden movement.

===Accelerometer===
{{Main article|Accelerometer}}
By determining an object's acceleration and integrating over time, the velocity of the object can be calculated. Integrating again, position can be determined. The simplest accelerometer is a weight that is free to move horizontally, which is attached to a spring and a device to measure the tension in the spring. This can be improved by introducing a counteracting force to push the weight back and to measure the force needed to prevent the weight from moving. A more complicated design consists of a gyroscope with a weight on one of the axes. The device will react to the force generated by the weight when it is accelerated, by integrating that force to produce a velocity.{{sfn|Feynman|Gottlieb|Leighton|2013|pp=131–135}}

==Variations==

===Gyrostat<!--'Gyrostat' redirects here-->===

A '''gyrostat'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA--> consists of a massive flywheel concealed in a solid casing.<ref>William Thomson (1875). ''Proc. London Math. Soc.'', vol. 6, pages 190–194.</ref><ref>[[Andrew Gray (physicist)|Andrew Gray]] (1979). ''A Treatise on Gyrostatics and Rotational Motion: Theory and Applications'' (Dover, New York)</ref> Its behaviour on a table, or with various modes of suspension or support, serves to illustrate the curious reversal of the ordinary laws of static equilibrium due to the gyrostatic behaviour of the interior invisible flywheel when rotated rapidly. The first gyrostat was designed by [[Lord Kelvin]] to illustrate the more complicated state of motion of a spinning body when free to wander about on a horizontal plane, like a top spun on the pavement, or a bicycle on the road.<ref>{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Gyroscope and Gyrostat|volume=12|page=769|first=Alfred George|last=Greenhill|author-link=Alfred George Greenhill}} This source has a detailed mathematical discussion of the theory of gyroscopy.</ref> Kelvin<ref>William Thomson, "Popular Lectures and Addresses", London:  MacMillan, 1889, vol. 1.</ref> also made use of gyrostats to develop mechanical theories of the elasticity of matter and of the ether.<ref>Robert Kargon, Peter Achinstein, Baron William Thomson Kelvin: "Kelvin's Baltimore Lectures and Modern Theoretical Physics: Historical and Philosophical Perspectives" [[The MIT Press]], 1987, {{ISBN|978-0-262-11117-1}}</ref> In modern [[continuum mechanics]] there is a variety of these models, based on ideas of Lord Kelvin. They represent a specific type of Cosserat theories (suggested for the first time by [[Eugène Cosserat]] and [[François Cosserat]]), which can be used for description of artificially made smart materials as well as of other complex media. One of them, so-called Kelvin's medium, has the same equations as magnetic insulators near the state of magnetic saturation in the approximation of quasimagnetostatics.<ref>E. Grekova, P. Zhilin (2001). ''Journal of elasticity'', Springer, vol. 64, pages 29–70</ref>

In modern times, the gyrostat concept is used in the design of attitude control systems for orbiting spacecraft and satellites.<ref>Peter C. Hughes (2004). ''Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics'' {{ISBN|0-486-43925-9}}</ref> For instance, the Mir space station had three pairs of internally mounted flywheels known as ''gyrodynes'' or [[control moment gyroscope]]s.<ref>D. M. Harland (1997)  ''The MIR Space Station'' (Wiley); D. M. Harland (2005) ''The Story of Space Station MIR'' (Springer).</ref>

In physics, there are several systems whose dynamical equations resemble the equations of motion of a gyrostat.<ref>C. Tong (2009). ''American Journal of Physics'' vol. 77, pages 526–537</ref> Examples include a solid body with a cavity filled with an inviscid, incompressible, homogeneous liquid,<ref>N.N. Moiseyev and V.V. Rumyantsev (1968). ''Dynamic Stability of Bodies Containing Fluid'' (Springer, New York)</ref> the static equilibrium configuration of a stressed elastic rod in [[elastica theory]],<ref>[[Joseph Larmor]] (1884). ''Proc. London Math. Soc.'' vol. 15, pages 170–184</ref> the polarization dynamics of a light pulse propagating through a nonlinear medium,<ref>M.V. Tratnik and J.E. Sipe (1987). ''Physical Review A'' vol. 35, pages 2965–2975</ref> the [[Lorenz system]] in chaos theory,<ref>A.B. Gluhovsky (1982). ''Soviet Physics Doklady'' vol. 27, pages 823–825</ref> and the motion of an ion in a [[Penning trap]] mass spectrometer.<ref>S. Eliseev et al. (2011). ''Physical Review Letters'' vol. 107, paper 152501</ref>

=== MEMS gyroscope ===
{{main article|Vibrating structure gyroscope}}

A [[microelectromechanical systems]] (MEMS) gyroscope is a miniaturized gyroscope found in electronic devices. It takes the idea of the [[Foucault pendulum]] and uses a vibrating element. This kind of gyroscope was first used in military applications but has since been adopted for increasing commercial use.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Passaro|first1=Vittorio M. N.|last2=Cuccovillo|first2=Antonello|last3=Vaiani|first3=Lorenzo|last4=De Carlo|first4=Martino|last5=Campanella|first5=Carlo Edoardo|date=7 October 2017|title=Gyroscope Technology and Applications: A Review in the Industrial Perspective|journal=Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)|volume=17|issue=10|page=2284|doi=10.3390/s17102284|issn=1424-8220|pmc=5677445|pmid=28991175|bibcode=2017Senso..17.2284P|doi-access=free}}</ref>

=== HRG ===

The [[hemispherical resonator gyroscope]] (HRG), also called a wine-glass gyroscope<ref>{{Cite book |last=Grewal |first=Mohinder S. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/663976587 |title=Global positioning systems, inertial navigation, and integration |date=2007 |publisher=Wiley-Interscience |others=Lawrence R. Weill, Angus P. Andrews |isbn=978-1-61583-471-6 |edition=2nd |location=Hoboken, N.J. |pages=329–331 |oclc=663976587}}</ref> or mushroom gyro, makes use of a thin solid-state hemispherical shell, anchored by a thick stem. This shell is driven to a flexural resonance by electrostatic forces generated by electrodes which are deposited directly onto separate fused-quartz structures that surround the shell. Gyroscopic effect is obtained from the inertial property of the flexural standing waves.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Carta |first1=G. |last2=Nieves |first2=M. J. |last3=Jones |first3=I. S. |last4=Movchan |first4=N. V. |last5=Movchan |first5=A. B. |date=2019-10-21 |title=Flexural vibration systems with gyroscopic spinners |journal=Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences |volume=377 |issue=2156 |pages=20190154 |doi=10.1098/rsta.2019.0154 |issn=1471-2962 |pmc=6732376 |pmid=31474205|bibcode=2019RSPTA.37790154C }}</ref>

=== VSG or CVG ===

A [[vibrating structure gyroscope]] (VSG), also called a Coriolis vibratory gyroscope (CVG),<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.isprs.org/proceedings/XXXVI/5-C55/www.cirgeo.unipd.it/cirgeo/convegni/mmt2007/proceedings/papers/sternberg_harald.pdf |journal=International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Proceedings |year=2007 |title=Qualification Process for MEMS Gyroscopes for the Use in Navigation Systems |author1=H. Sternberg |author2=C. Schwalm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002084552/http://www.isprs.org/proceedings/XXXVI/5-C55/www.cirgeo.unipd.it/cirgeo/convegni/mmt2007/proceedings/papers/sternberg_harald.pdf |archive-date=2 October 2011 }}</ref> uses a resonator made of different metallic alloys. It takes a position between the low-accuracy, low-cost MEMS gyroscope and the higher-accuracy and higher-cost fiber optic gyroscope. Accuracy parameters are increased by using low-intrinsic damping materials, resonator vacuumization, and digital electronics to reduce temperature dependent drift and instability of control signals.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://md1.csa.com/partners/viewrecord.php?requester=gs&collection=TRD&recid=A0017841AH&q=coriolis+vibratory+gyroscope+CVG&uid=789572486&setcookie=yes |title=Micromechanical inertial sensor development at Draper Laboratory with recent test results |journal=Symposium Gyro Technology Proceedings |date=14–15 September 1999 |author1=Ash, M E |author2=Trainor, C V |author3=Elliott, R D |author4=Borenstein, J T |author5=Kourepenis, A S |author6=Ward, P A |author7=Weinberg, M S |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823133655/https://md1.csa.com/partners/viewrecord.php?requester=gs&collection=TRD&recid=A0017841AH&q=coriolis+vibratory+gyroscope+CVG&uid=789572486&setcookie=yes |archive-date=23 August 2012}}</ref>

High quality [[Vibrating structure gyroscope#Wine glass resonator|wine-glass resonators]] are used for precise sensors like HRG.<ref>Lynch, D.D.: HRG development at Delco, Litton, and Northrop Grumman. In: Proceedings of Anniversary Workshop on Solid-State Gyroscopy, 19–21 May 2008. Yalta, Ukraine. Kyiv-Kharkiv. ATS of Ukraine, {{ISBN|978-976-0-25248-5}} (2009)</ref>

=== DTG ===
A dynamically tuned gyroscope (DTG) is a rotor suspended by a universal joint with flexure pivots.<ref>{{cite journal
 |url=http://spiedl.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=PSISDG003692000001000101000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes&ref=no 
 |title=Modeling the dynamically tuned gyroscope in support of high-bandwidth capture loop design 
 |author=David May 
 |editor2-first=Larry A 
 |editor2-last=Stockum 
 |editor1-first=Michael K 
 |editor1-last=Masten 
 |journal=Proc. SPIE 
 |series=Acquisition, Tracking, and Pointing XIII 
 |volume=3692 
 |year=1999 
 |doi=10.1117/12.352852 
 |pages=101–111 
|bibcode=1999SPIE.3692..101M 
 |s2cid=121290096 
 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The flexure spring stiffness is independent of spin rate. However, the dynamic inertia (from the gyroscopic reaction effect) from the gimbal provides negative spring stiffness proportional to the square of the spin speed (Howe and Savet, 1964; Lawrence, 1998). Therefore, at a particular speed, called the tuning speed, the two moments cancel each other, freeing the rotor from torque, a necessary condition for an ideal gyroscope.

===Ring laser gyroscope===
{{Main article|Ring laser gyroscope}}
A [[ring laser gyroscope]] relies on the [[Sagnac effect]] to measure rotation by measuring the shifting interference pattern of a beam split into two separate beams which travel around the ring in opposite directions.

When the [[Boeing 757]]-200 entered service in 1983, it was equipped with the first suitable ring laser gyroscope. This gyroscope took many years to develop, and the experimental models went through many changes before it was deemed ready for production by the engineers and managers of [[Honeywell]] and [[Boeing]]. It was an outcome of the competition with mechanical gyroscopes, which kept improving. The reason Honeywell, of all companies, chose to develop the laser gyro was that they were the only one that didn't have a successful line of mechanical gyroscopes, so they wouldn't be competing against themselves. The first problem they had to solve was that with laser gyros rotations below a certain minimum could not be detected at all, due to a problem called "lock-in", whereby the two beams act like coupled oscillators and pull each other's frequencies toward convergence and therefore zero output. The solution was to shake the gyro rapidly so that it never settled into lock-in. Paradoxically, too regular of a dithering motion produced an accumulation of short periods of lock-in when the device was at rest at the extremities of its shaking motion. This was cured by applying a random [[white noise]] to the vibration. The material of the block was also changed from quartz to a new glass ceramic [[Cer-Vit]], made by [[Owens Corning]], because of helium leaks.<ref>Donald MacKenzie, ''Knowing Machines: Essays in Technical Change'', MIT Press, 1996, Chapter 4: ''From the Luminiferous Ether to the Boeing 757''</ref>

=== Fiber optic gyroscope ===
{{Main article|Fibre optic gyroscope}}
A [[fiber optic gyroscope]] also uses the interference of light to detect mechanical rotation.  The two-halves of the split beam travel in opposite directions in a coil of [[fiber optic]] cable as long as 5&nbsp;km. Like the [[ring laser gyroscope]], it makes use of the [[Sagnac effect]].<ref>Hervé Lefèvre, ''The Fiber-Optic Gyroscope'', 1993, Artech House Optoelectronics Library, 1993, {{ISBN|0-89006-537-3}}</ref>

=== London moment ===
A [[London moment]] gyroscope relies on the quantum-mechanical phenomenon, whereby a spinning [[superconductor]] generates a [[magnetic field]] whose axis lines up exactly with the spin axis of the gyroscopic rotor. A magnetometer determines the orientation of the generated field, which is [[Interpolation|interpolated]] to determine the axis of rotation. Gyroscopes of this type can be extremely accurate and stable. For example, those used in the [[Gravity Probe B]] experiment measured changes in gyroscope spin axis orientation to better than 0.5 [[Minute of arc|milliarcseconds]] (1.4{{e|-7}} degrees, or about {{val|2.4|e=-9|u=radians}}) over a one-year period.<ref>[http://einstein.stanford.edu/content/fact_sheet/GPB_FactSheet-0405.pdf Einstein.stanford.edu] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514044333/http://einstein.stanford.edu/content/fact_sheet/GPB_FactSheet-0405.pdf |date=14 May 2011 }}. "The GP-B instrument is designed 
to measure changes in gyroscope spin axis orientation to better than 0.5 milliarcseconds (1.4x10-7 degrees) over a one-year period"</ref> This is equivalent to an [[angular separation]] the width of a human hair viewed from {{convert|32|km|mi|sp=us}} away.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://history.msfc.nasa.gov/gravity_probe_b/GravityProbeB_20050400.pdf|title=Gravity Probe B – Extraordinary Technologies|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527111732/http://history.msfc.nasa.gov/gravity_probe_b/GravityProbeB_20050400.pdf|archive-date=27 May 2010|access-date=18 January 2011}}</ref>

The GP-B gyro consists of a nearly-perfect spherical [[Moment of inertia#Rotational symmetry|rotating mass]] made of [[fused quartz]], which provides a [[dielectric]] support for a thin layer of [[niobium]] superconducting material. To eliminate friction found in conventional bearings, the rotor assembly is centered by the electric field from six electrodes. After the initial spin-up by a jet of helium which brings the rotor to 4,000 [[Revolutions per minute|RPM]], the polished gyroscope housing is evacuated to an ultra-high vacuum to further reduce drag on the rotor. Provided the suspension electronics remain powered, the extreme [[rotational symmetry]], lack of friction, and low drag will allow the angular momentum of the rotor to keep it spinning for about 15,000 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://einstein.stanford.edu/TECH/technology1.html#gyros|title=Gravity Probe B – Extraordinary Technologies|website=Einstein.stanford.edu|access-date=5 November 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514043657/http://einstein.stanford.edu/TECH/technology1.html#gyros|archive-date=14 May 2011}}</ref>

A sensitive [[SQUID#DC SQUID|DC SQUID]] that can discriminate changes as small as one quantum, or about 2 {{e|-15}} [[Weber (unit)|Wb]], is used to monitor the gyroscope. A [[precession]], or tilt, in the orientation of the rotor causes the London moment magnetic field to shift relative to the housing. The moving field passes through a superconducting pickup loop fixed to the housing, inducing a small electric current. The current produces a voltage across a shunt resistance, which is resolved to spherical coordinates by a microprocessor. The system is designed to minimize Lorentz torque on the rotor.<ref>{{cite book|pages=44–45|title=Vortex Electronics and SQUIDs|first1=Takeshi|last1=Kobayashi|first2=Hisao|last2=Hayakawa|first3=Masayoshi|last3=Tonouchi|date=8 December 2003|publisher=Springer |isbn=9783540402312|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5mPeUu1i5R8C&q=dc+squid+reduce+lorentz+force&pg=PA44|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904042759/https://books.google.com/books?id=5mPeUu1i5R8C&pg=PA44&lpg=PA44&dq=dc+squid+reduce+lorentz+force&source=bl&ots=Vgz9jQ-IyI&sig=KN71efttIEUKdd63LWfmhO33p90&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wiuYVfHbK4vSoATv55OgDQ&ved=0CC8Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=dc%20squid%20reduce%20lorentz%20force&f=false|archive-date=4 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234292394|title=DC electrostatic gyro suspension system for the Gravity Probe B experiment|website=ResearchGate|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705144927/http://www.researchgate.net/publication/234292394_DC_electrostatic_gyro_suspension_system_for_the_Gravity_Probe_B_experiment|archive-date=5 July 2015}}</ref>

== Other examples ==
=== Helicopters ===
{{Main article|Helicopter}}
The main rotor of a helicopter acts like a gyroscope. Its motion is influenced by the principle of gyroscopic precession which is the concept that a force applied to a spinning object will have a maximum reaction approximately 90 degrees later. The reaction may differ from 90 degrees when other stronger forces are in play.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Learning Center Courses Content - FAA - FAASTeam - FAASafety.gov|url=https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/alc/course_content_popup.aspx?cID=104&sID=449|access-date=23 April 2021|website=Faasafety.gov|archive-date=20 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420152225/https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/alc/course_content_popup.aspx?cID=104&sID=449|url-status=live}}</ref> To change direction, helicopters must adjust the pitch angle and the angle of attack.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gyroscopic Precession|url=https://blog.aopa.org/aopa/2012/01/29/gyroscopic-precession/|website=Blog.aopa.org|date=11 October 2020|access-date=23 April 2021|language=en-US|archive-date=21 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421090846/https://blog.aopa.org/aopa/2012/01/29/gyroscopic-precession/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Gyro X===
Gyro X prototype vehicle created by Alex Tremulis and Thomas Summers in 1967. The car utilized gyroscopic precession to drive on two wheels. An assembly consisting of a flywheel mounted in a gimbal housing under the hood of the vehicle acted as a large gyroscope. The flywheel was rotated by hydraulic pumps creating a gyroscopic effect on the vehicle. A precessional ram was responsible for rotating the gyroscope to change the direction of the precessional force to counteract any forces causing the vehicle imbalance. The one-of-a-kind prototype is now at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Museum|first=Lane Motor|title=Gyro-X-1967|url=https://www.lanemotormuseum.org/collection/cars/item/gyro-x-1967|access-date=23 April 2021|website=Lane Motor Museum|language=en-gb|archive-date=19 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419005513/https://www.lanemotormuseum.org/collection/cars/item/gyro-x-1967|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Consumer electronics==
[[File:Digital Compass sensor and Arduino Uno.jpg|thumb|A digital gyroscope module connected to an [[Arduino Uno]] board]]
{{Main article|Accelerometer#Consumer electronics}}
In addition to being used in compasses, aircraft, computer pointing devices, etc., gyroscopes have been introduced into consumer electronics.

Since the gyroscope allows the calculation of orientation and rotation, designers have incorporated them into modern technology. The integration of the gyroscope has allowed for more accurate recognition of movement within a 3D space than the previous lone [[accelerometer]] within a number of smartphones. Gyroscopes in consumer electronics are frequently combined with accelerometers for more robust direction- and motion-sensing. Examples of such applications include smartphones such as the [[Samsung Galaxy Note 4]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxynote4/note4_specs.html|title=Samsung Galaxy and Gear – The Official Samsung Galaxy Site|website=The Official Samsung Galaxy Site|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216101103/http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxynote4/note4_specs.html|archive-date=16 December 2014}}</ref> [[HTC Titan]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://techstic.com/2011/10/htc-titan-specifications-and-features.html|title=HTC Titan Specifications and Features – Techstic|date=18 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003033741/http://techstic.com/2011/10/htc-titan-specifications-and-features.html|archive-date=3 October 2012|access-date=6 May 2012}}</ref> [[Nexus 5]], [[iPhone 5s]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://siliconangle.com/blog/2013/11/01/nexus-5-vs-iphone-5s-head-to-head/|title=Nexus 5 vs iPhone 5s: Head-to-head – SiliconANGLE|date=1 November 2013|website=Siliconangle.com|access-date=5 November 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213200443/http://siliconangle.com/blog/2013/11/01/nexus-5-vs-iphone-5s-head-to-head/|archive-date=13 December 2013}}</ref> [[Nokia 808 PureView]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_808_pureview-4577.php|title=Nokia 808 PureView – Full phone specifications|website=Gsmarena.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320160642/http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_808_pureview-4577.php|archive-date=20 March 2012}}</ref> and [[Sony Xperia]], game console peripherals such as the [[Sixaxis|PlayStation 3 controller]] and the [[Wii Remote]], and virtual reality headsets such as the [[Oculus Rift CV1|Oculus Rift]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oculus.com/blog/building-a-sensor-for-low-latency-vr/|title=Blog – Building a Sensor for Low Latency VR|website=Oculus.com|access-date=5 November 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150308221700/https://www.oculus.com/blog/building-a-sensor-for-low-latency-vr/|archive-date=8 March 2015}}</ref> Some features of Android phones like PhotoSphere or 360 Camera and to use VR gadget do not work without a gyroscope sensor in the phone.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/htc-vive-cosmos-vr-headset,6367.html|title=HTC Vive Cosmos VR Headset Review: Solid Upgrade|last=March 2020|first=Kevin Carbotte 18|website=Tom's Hardware|date=18 March 2020|language=en|access-date=2 April 2020|archive-date=1 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801124104/https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/htc-vive-cosmos-vr-headset,6367.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Nintendo]] has integrated a gyroscope into the [[Wii]] console's Wii Remote controller by an additional piece of hardware called "[[Wii MotionPlus]]".<ref>Frank Caron (Aug 2008). [https://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/08/wii-motion-sensor.ars Of gyroscopes and gaming: the tech behind the Wii MotionPlus]
The company has also used gyroscopes in the Nintendo Switch [[Joy-Con]] controllers. 
  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415121613/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/08/wii-motion-sensor.ars |date=15 April 2012 }}, ars technica</ref> It is also included in the [[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]], [[Wii U]] [[Wii U GamePad|GamePad]], and [[Nintendo Switch]] [[Joy-Con]] and [[Nintendo Switch Pro Controller|Pro]] controllers, which detect movement when turning and shaking.

Cruise ships use gyroscopes to level motion-sensitive devices such as self-leveling pool tables.<ref>{{cite book |title=Econoguide Cruises 2006: Cruising the Caribbean, Hawaii, New England, Alaska, and Europe |edition=4th, illustrated |first1=Corey |last1=Sandler |publisher=Globe Pequot Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-7627-3871-7 |page=1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qqB7l5eoOKQC&q=self-leveling+pool+tables}}</ref>

An electric powered flywheel gyroscope inserted in a bicycle wheel is sold as an alternative to training wheels.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Adams|first1=Paul|title=Internal Gyroscope Is the Future of Training Wheels|url=https://www.popsci.com/gear-amp-gadgets/article/2009-09/video-future-training-wheels|website=Popular Science|date=29 September 2009 |access-date=18 October 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160727105452/http://www.popsci.com/gear-amp-gadgets/article/2009-09/video-future-training-wheels|archive-date=27 July 2016}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=18em}}
*[[Aerotrim]]
*[[Accelerometer]]
*[[Anti-rolling gyro]]
*[[Attitude indicator]]
*[[Balancing machine]]
*[[Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics]]
*[[Countersteering]]
*[[Euler angles]]
*[[Eric Laithwaite]]
*[[Flywheel]]
*[[Gyrocar]]
*[[Gyro monorail]]
*[[Gyroscopic exercise tool]]
*[[Inertial measurement unit]]
*[[Magnetometer]]
*[[Molecular gyroscope]]
*[[Reaction wheel]]
*[[Rifling]]
*[[Rigid body dynamics]]
*[[Turn and bank indicator]]
*[[Turn coordinator]]
*[[Spin stabilization]]
*[[Stabilizer (ship)|Stabilizer]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Sources===
*{{cite book|last1=Feynman|first1=Richard|last2=Gottlieb|first2=Michael|last3=Leighton|first3=Ralph|title=Feynman's Tips on Physics, A Problem-Solving Supplement to the Feynman Lectures on Physics|year=2013|publisher=Basic Books}}

==Further reading==
* [[Felix Klein]] and [[Arnold Sommerfeld]], "''Über die Theorie des Kreisels''" (Tr., About the theory of the gyroscope). Leipzig, Berlin, B.G. Teubner, 1898–1914. 4 v. illus. 25&nbsp;cm.
* Audin, M. ''Spinning Tops: A Course on Integrable Systems''. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
* Crabtree, H. "An Elementary Treatment of the Theory of Spinning Tops and Gyroscopic Motion". Longman, Green and C), 1909. Reprinted by Michigan Historical Reprint Series.
* Proceedings of Anniversary Workshop on Solid-State Gyroscopy, 19–21 May 2008. Yalta, Ukraine. Kyiv-Kharkiv. ATS of Ukraine, {{ISBN|978-976-0-25248-5}} (2009)
* E. Leimanis (1965). ''The General Problem of the Motion of Coupled Rigid Bodies about a Fixed Point''. (Springer, New York).
* Perry J. "Spinning Tops". London Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1870. Reprinted by Project Gutemberg ebook, 2010.
* Walter Wrigley, Walter M. Hollister, and William G. Denhard (1969). ''Gyroscopic Theory, Design, and Instrumentation.'' (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA).
* Cooper, Donald & University of Western Australia. Dept. of Mechanical and Materials Engineering 1996, An investigation of the application of gyroscopic torque in the acceleration and retardation of rotating systems.

==External links==
{{Wikibooks|High School Physics/Rotational Motion}}
* [http://www.gyroscopes.org/1974lecture.asp The Royal Institution's 1974–75 Christmas Lecture] Professor Eric Laithwaite
* [http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/OneWheeledRobotGyrostat/ One-Wheeled Robot-Gyrostat] by Olga Kapustina and Yuri Martynenko [[Wolfram Demonstrations Project]]
* Apostolyuk V. [http://www.apostolyuk.com/index.php/publications/12-journals/16-springer2006 Theory and Design of Micromechanical Vibratory Gyroscopes]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gyroscopes| ]]
[[Category:Flywheels]]
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