When you hear the words Retina display or Megapixel your eyes literally become wide! Now cameras use the eye as the role model!
Now remember that nifty feature of landscape and portrait mode! Or how accurately your phone ‘maps’ your direction and takes you to the proper place! When there is a change, the phone tells you to ‘recenter’!
Well all that and many features of the phone are inspired by your EARS!
The ear is the a major component of your balance and orientation! Of course the brain is the most important and integral part but the ears give the most amazing signals!
There is a fluid deep inside our ear called the endolymph in the inner which are responsible for balance! In very simple terms the changes in the fluid when we move tells our body of our position and makes the brain maintain balance!
We have specific ‘parts’ of even the inner ear which detects position when you are standing still and when you are moving! We also have a complex array of canals which ‘detect’ the motions and orientation in all the three dimension! A complex interplay of these canals keep you, well straight!
As otologists and as balance specialists; we are still understanding the complex interplay of all the canals and the signals to the brain, but the concept has been very well utilised in the design of your phone!
So a Phone orientation detection relies on the synergy of three key sensors: the accelerometer, which measures linear acceleration and gravity, the gyroscope, which tracks angular velocity and rotation, and the magnetometer, which senses the Earth’s magnetic field, collectively working together to provide a comprehensive understanding of the device’s position and orientation!
Accelerometer design which is a direct inspiration from the inner ear consists of a small device that contains a mass that is suspended by a spring. When the phone is tilted or rotated, the mass moves, and the spring stretches. The amount of stretching of the spring is proportional to the acceleration forces acting on the phone. The accelerometer converts this information into an electrical signal that can be read by the phone’s operating system!
The accelerometer can also be used to detect changes in the phone’s orientation when it is not being held in your hand. For example, if you put the phone on a table and then shake it, the accelerometer will detect the changes in acceleration forces and use this information to determine that the phone is being shaken!
The gyroscope contains a spinning wheel that is suspended by a gimbal. The gimbal is a set of three rings that allow the spinning wheel to rotate freely in any direction! You will be surprised to know that even we have three canals which detect the ‘angular’ movement and in any given moment at least two and many times three canals are stimulated which signals the brain on the direction and orientation! It is simply mind boggling!
When the phone is tilted or rotated, the spinning wheel tries to maintain its original direction of rotation. This creates a force on the spinning wheel that is proportional to the rotational forces acting on the phone. The gyroscope converts this force into an electrical signal that can be read by the phone’s operating system.
The gyroscope is also sensitive to changes in the phone’s orientation. When the phone is rotated, the spinning wheel will start to rotate in the opposite direction.
The gyroscope is a very sensitive sensor and can detect very small changes in the phone’s orientation. This makes it ideal for applications that require precise measurements of orientation, such as virtual reality and augmented reality!
The magnetometer contains a magnet that is surrounded by a coil of wire. The magnet is free to rotate in any direction. When the phone is placed in a magnetic field, the magnet aligns itself with the field. This movement of the magnet generates an electrical signal in the coil of wire. The magnetometer is sensitive to the Earth’s magnetic field and so the magnetometer will measure a slightly different value of the magnetic field depending on the phone’s orientation. The phone’s operating system can use this information to determine the phone’s orientation relative to the Earth’s magnetic field!
Most of the phones you have right now especially the high end phones have all of these complex instruments and sensors inside which guide you day in and out! The next time you see and photo in the portrait and landscape mode immediately the moment you turn the phone, take a moment to appreciate the complex interplay involved and also marvel the ‘nature or creator’s’ design of the inner ear which made all this possible!
Possible is also the motto of Kiran Bedi!
Now, remember how you can walk in a dark theatre!? It’s because of your inner ear!
Think about it!
Shubh ratri!
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