How a phone knows up from down

A video introducing the accelerometer used in mobile phones.

[@anubizz3]

Holy cow you are back

[@engineerguyvideo]

Well I did release four long videos in April ... so I suppose I've been back, although of course from my view point I didn't go anywhere. Over the summer I created quite a few 45 sec or so videos, which will be KZbin shorts, Tik Tok, Reels, etc. Am working on a longer video right now (12 minutes?) about the technology underlying color photography.

[@anubizz3]

@@engineerguyvideo I just realize that its good to know you not giving up on youtube.

[@jonathanm9436]

IKR!!! Bill, you've been gone for years man - I check YT every now and then but my last must have been before April. You've been missed. Great to have your content back. Hope you are well.

[@engineerguyvideo]

@jonathanm9436 Thank you. I am well and excited to be working in the studio.

[@jonathanm9436]

@@engineerguyvideo we all anticipate fabulous things.

[@stephenmaloney7419]

I do really love the manner and style in which this content is delivered!

[@engineerguyvideo]

Thank you

[@JennaHasm]

​@@engineerguyvideoDo you have any collaboration with any EU certified course?

[@Ozgrin_thewizard]

YES! An EngineerGuy short! Please make more of these 🤩

[@engineerguyvideo]

I will …

[@vonhendrik]

@engineerguy I appreciate that you're willing to work in a medium you're not naturally drawn to. And as usual you took your time to study it and produced excellent shorts that still have your signature style at their core.

[@stupidgenius42]

I thought that a MEMS gyroscope was used (possibly in conjunction with an accelerometer) to determine the rotation of the device?

[@sebastianmaier5328]

Those are actually made up of multiple accelerometers, which are oriented in different directions. " True"X,y,z accelerations get calculated form measured values

[@EGL24Xx]

A gryo would not be a good idea because it tells you about angular velocity, not orientation. You could do an integral on velocity to get your orientation, but that is going to drift like crazy and not be useful. If you hold a 3 axis accelerometer still, you will know exactly which direction gravity is in, and thus the orientation.

[@JDSileo]

I love that this is your first video in this format and the topic is about a phone that changes its orientation. It's poetic and that poetry is not unnoticed

[@jaihasta]

Your voice is so soothing feels like learning something new never gets boring.

[@frankiefadda]

The way that this was your first YT short and it relates to our phones orientation :) You think of everything, thanks for the content!

[@justus7650]

Hah! I didn't even think of that. Nice.

[@atlas2061]

Huh, I always thought it was something like a gyroscope

[@Tropicalpisces]

So did I.

[@danielkou7932]

Same here

[@iwearleatherjackets1]

Gyroscopes measure angular velocity; accelerometers measure linear acceleration.

[@garyandrewranford]

Such a smooth voice and delivery... brilliant 😊

Breaking Taps has a brilliant video about this! He even 3D prints one and goes into detail on how it works.

[@drvinson8947]

Also used in vibration analysis. 👍🏼

[@philoliver8598]

This guy is just brilliant Short, to the point and explains stuff we all use but don’t know how it works. Simple, clear and always very interesting Great stuff!

[@felixar90]

As a side note, when your phone is immobile, the accelerometers are picking up a 9.81 m/s^2 acceleration up, and when your phone is accelerating in free fall, its picking up no acceleration at all. So in free fall your phone can’t tell which way is up.

[@DrReplaySC2]

Probably know's it's falling tho. Cause it could feel everything leading up to it and that weightless feeling would be foreign and uncomfortable like it is for us.

[@joblo2671]

That wouldn't be true until it had reached terminal velocity. Unlikely for most falls.

[@gautamknambiar]

@@joblo2671once your phone has reached terminal velocity, it’s as if it were just sitting on the ground again. It will once again know which way is up.

[@dmitriy4708]

@@joblo2671 The terminal velocity has nothing to do with it. It is an accelerometer, it measures acceleration, not speed. So, free falling means no acceleration. Do not confuse it with seeming acceleration from our perspective, we are in accelerating frame of reference, so it seems that falling object is accelerated towards Earth, however in General relativity it is the Earth surface that is accelerated.

[@joblo2671]

@@dmitriy4708 what the hell are you talking about? I'm saying your phone would have to reach it's maximum speed of descent for the statement to be true. This would never happen if dropped from your hand or off of a table.

[@fire_tower]

Unfortunately now I know how accelerometers work I simply must know how they're built.

[@William_Mobley]

Look up photolithography, and prepare for a deep dive. Edit: More specifically, lookup MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems), which uses photolithography.

[@CodeKujo]

Their production technique is indeed amazing! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJe9l6SDeaqFh68

[@superiorquad3758]

Yes!

[@Earth_Being]

People need this kinda gentleman who know their things

[@BlackPsuedicide]

This is the most concise explanation of an accelerometer that I've hesrd

[@PickledShark]

The fact that you sound so much like Carl Sagan trips me out every time

[@fghezelbash8731]

Excellent and clear explanation

[@Coastfog]

"The cell phone knows where it is, because...wait, wrong department..."

[@josephphillips4870]

It's so nice to finally see you back. Hope you've been doing well in the time that you've been gone.

[@iansmall6918]

I really have never even thought about this. Fascinating!

[@hellfire0206]

Thank you. Now I can finally rest. But seriously I was intrigued and now I know

[@Loveandotherchaos1438]

Every time I watch one of your videos I come away feeling a wee bit smarter lol

[@JustAutistic]

That gives me goosebumps at how creative that is.

[@polrealfake]

My mom had a phone that would turn the screen upside down in case the phone was upside down. It was a lifesaver while charging; if only newer phones had that feature.

[@bobmald13]

An engineer explaining something in less than 90 minutes. IMPOSSIBLE I SAY!!!

[@tongalizia3175]

Finally ,,,,the very best video

[@sasi30555]

Just replaying yo this video to say you are an amazing person and one of the most simplified explanations in the world. Dare i say simpler than varitasum

[@FKSas]

You are back! You are amazing and have been sorely missed by many

[@samlewis-fx7qu]

one of the better vids on You Tube

[@MrDigimal]

Love these vids. This is what the internet should be

[@mubafaw]

Brilliant content as always!!! Excellent Engineer and communicator 😊👍

[@MarkusManon]

Incredibly concise!

[@Buena-123]

What a cute picture ❤

[@palmeroringor]

Glad you’re uploading again!

[@chriskeller3705]

i kind of figured there was like a little ball that moves around with gravity and it detected the direction the ball is facing. Similar to how a joystick works, just with gravity

[@Katylest]

I love these videos ❤

[@komradekopke]

Plutarch Heavensbee is that you!?

[@richard84738]

These videos are palate cleansers. I watch 20 videos about crime, culture wars, "music" videos, just a bunch of total garbage and think man, pack it in, we are done for. Then I watch The Engineering Guy and feel like, oh, ok, there are still normal people doing normal things and teaching and making the world better.

[@engineerguyvideo]

That’s a very nice thing to say …. Appreciate it …

[@shutupack5389]

So true

[@somerandomIndianGuy]

Love the content. Keep going

[@JoboMcFakeAF]

I watch you so I don't have to go to college

[@O8WRx]

I didn't realize every time I slapped my phone to make it rotate it was me just jarring the heck out of a tiny trigger lol

[@dheintz315]

These videos rock!. So this is the same as the accelerometers in drones ? That we are constantly calibrating?! Haha

[@cruisingwithoutsail6585]

A very informative video as always, thank you.

[@Wheagg]

Went from a new life-saving sensor to Wii Remote

[@jessesanchez9998]

Love this channel

[@firsthause7462]

Nice very interesting and learning, short video materials

[@GyanAddict]

I wanted to know this for years.

[@KikoValleyMan]

You’re awesome Bill! 👍🏻

[@carsrulezk]

Amazing photo

[@BernhardRiemann-yo6zw]

Had no idea accelerometers were compliant mechanisms, that's so cool

[@NAL283]

Just watched all your shorts you have up so far. Bummed I hit the end but excited for more! Keep up the good work!

[@STEVES7EVE]

It also never works when you really need it to but will work when you dont want it to 😂

[@QuigleTheGnome]

I loved you in the hunger games when you helped Katniss escape the third quarter quell

[@TheILV17]

Thank you for this video

[@dracotalcar3287]

Whats really cool about this to me is how wildy the aplication of a single desgin can change as soon as someone with a different perspective looks at it.

[@Crazymanbos]

Wow, thank you! I did not know this

[@raisingelephant]

Excellent!

[@hadibq]

my favorite channel on yt

[@OnlyOozyJay]

You inspire me

[@jibokeng8009]

Thank you so much I've been wondering😊

[@kadmii]

return of the king, resubbing immediately

[@marianolopez8654]

Man, I'm old, I thought it was a miniature mercury switch.

[@defaultuser0856]

Please more videos about phone sensors

[@rapsod1911]

I heard that some phones use magnetic field sensor (compass) for rotation position detection.

[@bobmusil1458]

Most phones also have a compass so that they can show the geographic direction. That has nothing to do with detecting the orientation of the phone.

[@fep_ptcp883]

Everyone's gangsta 'til Bill comes, explains something and wraps it up by saying "I'm Bill Hammack the Engineer Guy"

[@nathanbasset]

This is a great explanation of accelerometers, but I don’t understand how this determines orientation.

[@samurphy]

You put 3 of them together, aligned to X, Y and Z. Gravity pulls down in a single direction, and by reading all 3, you can tell which way is up.

[@TB-re4xj]

My phone requires the camera to be on so google can watch me at all times

[@grahamehadden4320]

I locked up the accountant who authorised the research for accelerometer at Lotus. He was a wee gentleman.

[@pbjracing14yearsago49]

Is that the rattling sound I hear when I shake my phone?

[@adnaanfakir5500]

Immediately starts turning phone around 🎉

[@niyonsv]

Great! Please share information about the GPS as well. Additionally, smartphones house a multitude of sensors - could you elaborate on those too?

[@zuffer1675]

I was wrong, i thought it had something to do with the gyroscope thing 😂😂

[@DagnirRen]

I always thought it was a gyroscope like the 3DS 😂

[@626F62]

When we getting more full length vids?

[@osmanivegen9876]

Thanks .

[@Voltechs]

I feel like you’re stomping on Bill Nye’s turf

[@dieselsoggydog6299]

No, it's the 3 axis gyroscope that does this.

[@chudez]

i've missed your videos.

[@mukeshjoshi1552]

Thanks

[@nikolay-tsys]

I wish I could have more than one like! This is going to be awesome!

[@BenjaminGatti]

Cap: accelerometers don't oscillate. Gyroscopes oscillate. Accelerometers simply move in proportion to acceleration, aka gravity.

[@mister_M.]

Thanks bill

[@getsomebud]

yeaaaahahahaaaa love your presentations

[@Mellerrrs]

So what happens when you press the lock button to stop your screen from rotating?

[@NevTheDeranged]

Now if only they could invent one that could tell when I'm watching my phone from a laying down position and don't want it to turn >_

[@flemusslvandajivabjorn]

Interesting, so that part can wear out I suppose, if it is constantly moving.

[@arijitiwari]

Love all the from India Bill. I love your videos.

[@engineerguyvideo]

Thank you

[@pulsewatcher0ad]

You da man!

[@peaupi]

you are so cool thanks for the vids

[@engineerguyvideo]

No one has ever described me as cool, but I thank you for your kind words.

[@barnabasrsnags4828]

​@@engineerguyvideono one ?😮

[@GrimTheDestroyer]

I thought there was a tiny ball inside the phone

[@BrianHoff04]

Love me some engineers. That said the extreme focus on engineers today seems a bit off. A buncha creative people isn't a system. Systems make things work. Be a part of a system will mean getting things done.

[@DaveyJonesJr]

Are we sure it’s not a marble rolling around in there?

[@bruceanderson7762]

Had a dear friend who wanted to be an engineer...he wanted to drive a steam locomotive 😮

[@richardferretti8208]

So if i was in space I'd have to manually rotate my phone's orientation?

[@levrider9558]

Aso it measures the acceleration of the acceleration?

[@SuchtFaktorHoch10]

That's why the screen always turns into landscape while reading in bed with the slightest tilt. But refuses to turn the other way around unless it is straight up in the air absolute precisely on every axis. because it thought the crash already happened and why bother to reverse it the same way.

[@AlbertLebel]

So then how does the bubble level work on the smart phone ? Or is this the entire thing for all directions

[@Nusaiba89]

Period!!!!! 🔥 ❤

[@MichaelGustavson]

This seems to answer the question what more than how

[@engineerguyvideo]

It is a 45 sec video, so indeed; I have a longer video on you tube that discusses the how … including some details about how it is made