Almost ten years ago to the day I was part of a small team that help a company to transfer an solid state gyroscope design from the military to automotive domain. The idea behind the work was that accelerometers and gyroscopes could be used as sensors in active suspension systems to improve driving characteristics. Over the years I have watched this technology pop up in all sorts of applications that we never even dreamed of at the time, which leaves me wondering how one can ever really define a "route to market" for a new invention.
I was not surprised to see solid state gyros turn up in high end model helicopters and the like, but their appearance in the last year or so in small indoor helicopters was something of a surprise. Some years ago I was shown a game in a University computing department where the interface was a controller fitted with solid state gyros and accelerometers. Now such controllers are commonplace with game controllers such as the Nintendo Wii.
It is this last application that has really brought home to me the sensitivity of these devices. When ten pin bowling (and I am not very good) I find that I get a spin that causes the bowling ball to veer left at the end of the run. I compensate for this by rotating slightly clockwise. Trying out the ten pin bowling game on the Wii over the holiday period I found that the virtual ball behaved just like the real ball and veered to the left at the end of the run. My on screen avatar (complete with virtual beard) also has to turn slightly clockwise to compensate. Ten years ago I never even dreamed that solid state gyroscope would be a component in a toy. In fact, I am sure I would have been laughed at for even making such a suggestion, but today no-one doubts the size of the market and its potential for growth.
What will the next type of sensor to make the journey from areospace into the games market?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment