Industrial automation specialist Pepperl+Fuchs has developed a new mobile IMU F99 inclination sensor to provide stable inclination values within construction machinery or robots.
An inclination sensor, also known as an inclinometer, is a device designed to measure the tilt, slope, or angle of an object with respect to the force of gravity.
Such devices provide information about the angular displacement of an object in relation to a reference surface or plane.
These sensors are usually fitted with accelerometers or gyroscopes to detect changes in the orientation of the object. As accelerometers measure changes in acceleration, and gyroscopes measure angular velocity, with this combined data providing accurate data on the angle of a tilt.
On the development of the solution, a company spokesperson said: “An integrated gyroscope compensates for accelerations, enabling precise inclination measurement. This makes the IMU F99 sensor a significantly better choice than conventional static inclination sensors.
“Inclination sensors are capable of delivering extremely precise values in stationary conditions, but their measurements can be distorted by acceleration effects.”
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However, in applications such as excavators, wheel loader buckets and the booms of agricultural machines, inclination values are often required during movement, Pepperl+Fuchs added.
Conventional static inclination sensors typically measure gravitational force, though they can be responsive to other affecting forces. This means that, as acceleration changes, the inclination value is also altered.
In vehicles and mobile devices, this means that accelerating, braking, centrifugal forces in bends, and any that occur vibrations while driving, can distort the measured value.
As a result, these influences must be compensated for to achieve dynamic inclination measurement. In response to this, the IMU F99 device series was developed for mobile inclination measurements.
By adding a rotation rate sensor (gyroscope), the sensor is now able to perform dynamic inclination measurement, enabling precise inclination values to be recorded even during movement, according to its developer.
In addition, the IMU F99 sensor was also designed for use on all mobile machines for position detection, control and positioning of booms, anti-fall-over systems, steering angle restriction and weighing systems.
Inclination sensors such as these are used across a range of different industries besides construction, such as automotive and aviation.
These devices are critical in situations where maintaining a specific angle or monitoring changes in inclination is needed, such as in levelling equipment, controlling the orientation of vehicles or ensuring structural stability.
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