A modern smartphone is not just calls and SMS, but much more. But today we will not talk about how to go online from these devices, not about their hyper-communication capabilities and not about the advantages of a particular mobile operating system. The article will be devoted to the sensors and sensors that developers equip modern devices to make their functionality even more diverse. So what are gauges and sensors? These are microdevices in the smartphone itself (player, tablet, navigator, laptop, digital camera, game console etc.) that make him smart and also connect with the outside world. Without them, the smartphone will not be so interesting and in demand, since the gadget will be without connection with the environment. It is with the help of sensors and sensors that a connection with the world around appears, which means that new amazing functions appear.

Of the main sensors and sensors, known to many, and without which today one cannot do, except that the very budget ones mobile phones, the following can be distinguished:

1. Proximity Sensor

2. Accelerometer

3. Light Sensor

4. Gyroscope Sensor

5. Magnetic Field Sensor (a magnetic compass is usually not considered a sensor, but we still included it in the list)

Proximity Sensor

The proximity sensor allows you to determine the approach of an object without physical contact with it. For example, a proximity sensor installed on a mobile phone can turn off the backlight when the phone approaches the user's ear during a call. That is, its main task is to block the smartphone so that the user does not accidentally press, say, with his cheek to hang up. By the way, in in this case the charge is also saved battery... Naturally, manufacturers are trying in every possible way to expand the capabilities of this function. For example, a year ago in Samsung Galaxy S3 introduced the "Direct Call" function, which, when the device is held up to the face, allows you to call a contact whose information, call log or message data is displayed on the screen. Also, a phone with this sensor can be safely put in a pocket or case, without fear of accidentally making an unnecessary call.

In general, motion control is the next stage in communication between man and technology, on which a lot of manufacturers are working today. For example, last year Pioneer introduced the lineup car multimedia and navigation GPS-systems, which can be controlled using gestures. Pioneer named its development "Air Gesture". If the user brings his hand to the front of the screen of the multimedia and navigation system, it displays a window with the name of the this moment compositions and frequently used control commands: "Set as destination" and "Set favorite place as destination". As soon as the user takes their hand away from the screen, these commands disappear, and navigation map will be displayed on the full screen again. Also, by moving your hands horizontally, certain functions user-defined can be called without pressing a button. You can set one of 10 functions, including "Switch between Navigation and AV function" and "Skip the current track / Play the previous track". The sensor, which detects hand movements, consists of two infrared emitting parts and one receiving part between them. When your hand moves to the front of the screen, the receiving IR sensor detects reflections of infrared light. With a horizontally moving hand, the IR sensor detects the change in the timings of infrared radiation from the right and left emitting parts so that it becomes clear in which side the hand is moving. By the way, the production of models with user interface Air Gesture gesture control has already begun.

The same function is implemented in the new Samsung flagship Electronics - Galaxy S4. In addition to the proximity sensor, next to front camera there is another sensor that is used for gesture recognition. It recognizes hand movements by receiving infrared rays that bounce off the user's palm, and works in tandem with Air Gesture, giving users the ability to answer a call, change songs, or scroll up or down a web page with just one wave of the hand.

Accelerometer

Perhaps this is the most common sensor. The G-sensor, as many manufacturers call it, can be found in almost every modern device today. The task of the accelerometer is simple - to track the acceleration that is given to the device. The question seems to be, why measure the acceleration of a smartphone? But let's think about it, the moment we turn the phone over, there is an acceleration movement. The accelerometer registers it and, based on the data received from it, starts a process, for example, changing the screen orientation. The sensor is also used to scale browser pages when the smartphone is tilted, updating the list of Bluetooth devices when shaken, in specific applications, and, of course, in games, especially in simulators. In addition, the accelerometer is used as a pocket foot pod for counting the number of steps taken by the user.

In cameras, the accelerometer is used to rotate the captured frame, and in laptops - for urgent parking of the heads. hard disk if the computer suddenly crashes. And in cars, it serves to deploy the airbags on impact. Simply put, the accelerometer deals with the position of the device in space and the tilt of the body, while relying on its acceleration when changing this position.

Light Sensor

The tasks of this sensor are extremely simple and are to determine the degree of ambient light and adjust the brightness of the screen accordingly. Thanks to this auto brightness adjustment, it is possible to save energy, especially if you want to optimize the consumption of your battery. Perhaps this is the oldest sensor in the mobile world, and even though this sensor does not seem to have any opportunities to improve functionality, manufacturers in this case are trying to make working with a smartphone even more comfortable.

For example, in mobile operating system iOS 6 from Apple introduced the ability to adjust auto brightness. Previously, the light sensor was fully automated and adjusted the brightness of the screen at its discretion. Now the user is able to control the operation of this sensor. You can easily determine the brightness level that is comfortable for you, and iOS takes that choice into account when calculating the brightness level for new lighting conditions. However, in order for the sensor to function correctly, it is necessary to make a small adjustment to the device.

Gyroscope Sensor

If the capabilities of the accelerometer are by and large exhausted, and the scope of its application is clearly limited, then the device of another inertial sensor, which is a gyroscope, has not yet been fully mastered in smartphones. The history of the use of gyroscopes dates back to the end of the 19th century. At that time, inertial sensors were common in the fleet, since with the help of a gyroscope it is most accurately possible to determine the location of the cardinal points. Later, thanks to such a unique function, the gyroscope became widespread in aviation. By its design, the gyroscope in mobile phones resembles the classic rotary ones, which are a rapidly rotating disc mounted on movable frames. Even if the position of the frames in space is changed, the axis of rotation of the disk will not change. Due to the constant rotation of the disk, for example, with the help of an electric motor, it is possible to constantly determine the position of an object (in which there is a gyroscope) in space, its tilts or rolls.

Gyroscopes in modern devices are based on an MEMS sensor, but the principle of operation of the inertial sensor remains the same. The same family includes accelerometers, magnetometric and other highly specialized sensors. The market for these diminutive elements, also known as MEMS, received a major boost when Apple began installing a gyroscope in the iPhone 4, and then in iPod Touch. Successful sales mobile devices have led MEMS element manufacturers to successfully enter the mobile market. Apple iPhone 4, which pioneered the use of a gyroscope and two MEMS microphones for noise cancellation, had a huge impact on the phone industry. For example, at the end of 2010, fewer than five phones on the market boasted a gyroscope, and in 2011 there were already more than 50 models of phones and tablets with a gyroscope.

Gyroscopes built into mobile phones make games the highest possible. With this sensor, you can use not only the normal rotation of the device to control the game, but also the rotation speed, which provides more realistic control. In addition to games, the gyroscope is used in augmented reality browsers for more accurate positioning of the device in space, as well as in radio models of aircraft controlled using smartphones on iOS and Android platforms.

Magnetic Field Sensorcompass)

After the arrival of GPS receivers in our world, digital compasses also appeared, however, in the era of the development of navigation technologies, they are not so useful. The magnetometer, like the usual magnetic compass, tracks the orientation of the device in space relative to the earth's magnetic poles.

The information obtained from the compass is used in mapping and navigation applications. In practice, this device has shown itself to be quite good and today is indispensable in a number of games and applications, for example, in the Layar augmented reality browser.

Other sensors and sensors

Barometer

This sensor also helps with positioning. The barometer started appearing in smartphones quite recently, with the release of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and may reduce the time it takes to connect to a GPS signal. The built-in barometer measures the atmospheric pressure at the current location of the smartphone owner and determines the altitude. Many flagship smartphones today they are equipped not only with GPS and GLONASS receivers, but also with a barometer, due to which the capture of the signal from the satellite and the determination of the initial position occurs instantly. This function is also useful in the case when the user moves on inclined planes, be it a hill or a mountain, because depending on the atmospheric pressure and altitude, he can calculate the exact number of calories that are burned during a walk. Well, and, accordingly, to determine pressure and weather conditions directly from your smartphone.

Let's consider the principle of operation of this sensor using an example Samsung smartphone Galaxy S III, where the determination of the pressure difference can be recalculated about 25 times per second. This speed makes it possible to clearly determine the movement of a person up and down, that is, to use navigation not only in the horizontal plane, but also in the vertical one. Thus, we get a volumetric navigation that is completely true. For example, when navigating in a shopping center, a regular GPS navigator will not be enough for you, since it will indicate a point on the plane of the earth, and not at what height your route is. And car navigators can navigate in multi-storey parking lots and multi-tiered roads.

The pressure sensor allows you to do this, and you will receive not only the exact coordinates of a given place, but also information on which floor or height your route runs. Typically, such sensors include a data processing system, and their dimensions are within 3x3x1 mm. The tiny sensor reacts to changes in height with an accuracy of 50 cm. The technique is implemented by comparing external atmospheric pressure with respect to the vacuum chamber inside the sensor. In addition to the vacuum chamber and sensors, a built-in microprocessor, an analog amplifier, a digital co-processor, and a non-volatile memory element fit into the miniature body of the device.

Temperature / humidity sensor

This sensor is a new addition to the Samsung Galaxy S4. It detects ambient temperature and humidity levels through a small hole located in the base of the smartphone. And then the sensor determines the optimal level of comfort and displays this information on the screen of the S Health app. In addition, the temperature sensor allows you to correct pressure errors caused by changes in air temperature. Those who want to immediately take advantage of the opportunities temperature sensor, can pay attention to the development of scientists at Robocat.

They created a tiny Thermodo electric thermometer that connects to the phone via a headphone port. Thermodo consists of passive temperature sensors built into a standard 4-pole headphone jack in a robust housing. No network connection is required, the device is powered by the phone and consumes little power. When temperature measurement is not required, Thermodo can be hung on the keys like a key fob. With Thermodo you can measure the temperature both indoors and outdoors.

3D sensor

A sensor that constantly scans the surrounding area and creates a computer virtual model with high accuracy. Something similar is the Kinect, but a new version google tablet Nexus 10 received a sensor much more compact and there are already ready-made applications that can work on the tablet and demonstrate the capabilities of not only the most modern games.

Among other things, the Capri 3D sensor, which was presented at the Google I / O 2013 conference by PrimeSense, is able to register movements and obtain metric parameters of objects. Incidentally, this development of this technology proves IBM's assumption that in the middle of this decade, communications using video conferencing applications will begin to resemble 3D holograms.

Safety

Recently, Professor of Swarthmore College (Pennsylvania, USA) Adam J. Aviv demonstrated the possibility of carrying out attacks using data obtained from a smartphone accelerometer. It turned out that the data obtained by the smartphone's sensors can help attackers gain access to the device's unlock codes. They can find out the pin codes and passwords of the user. Receiving information through sensors is much easier than through applications downloaded to a smartphone, says the professor. The researchers analyzed the data obtained by the accelerometer and compiled a kind of "dictionary" of smartphone movements when entering a password, after which they developed software, which allows decrypting Pin-codes using data obtained from an accelerometer. In the course of research, scientists were able to correctly identify the Pin-code in 43% of cases, and the password in 73%. The system malfunctions when the user is in motion while using the device, since movements create additional interference, and it is very difficult to obtain accurate data from the accelerometer.

Mobile security experts also believe that the more sensors a smartphone has, the more data they can capture, which means that the problem of protecting the device becomes more acute. Researchers are now developing methods to prevent leakage of data collected by gyroscopes, accelerometers or other sensors. So we can assume that with the development of technology and the expansion of the functionality of sensors, the security situation will only escalate.

Perspectives

Recently, American inventor Jacob Fraden founded Fraden Corporation and patented a non-contact temperature measurement system for mobile devices. On the back of the smartphone is a small infrared sensor that can take readings of the user's body temperature in just a second. Thus, in the future, smartphones may well turn into our personal medical assistants. Fraden also intends to create instruments for measuring ultraviolet radiation and electromagnetic pollution. But employees from the Next Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology claim that sensors in smartphones will soon be able to detect arrhythmias and tachycardia, which will force users to seek medical help in a timely manner.

According to experts from IBM, smartphones will have a sense of smell by 2017. Tiny odor sensors can be built into smartphones and others mobile devices... The detected traces of chemical compounds will be transmitted to a powerful cloud-based application capable of analyzing everything from carbon monoxide to the flu virus. As a result, if you sneeze, your phone can tell you about your illness.

All the most interesting is just beginning, and today work is going on in a variety of areas. For example, it is possible that in the near future your smartphone will learn to simulate tactile sensations using a certain kind of sensors. You will be able to distinguish between fabrics, textures and weaves. And sound sensors combined with massive cloud computing systems will have superhuman hearing capabilities. Oh, what can not be assumed, especially since the mass of assumptions, calculations and even fantasies in recent years began to come true with an amazing speed.

Not every mobile device user knows that most Android devices have this interesting thing like a barometer. Why is it needed on the phone? Is it really just to measure atmospheric pressure? In fact, this sensor is part of the GPS system and allows you to determine geolocation with maximum accuracy.

But, of course, nothing prevents us from using the barometer for its intended purpose. All that is required for this is to install a special program from the store Google play... Below are some of these applications.

The app deserves to be at the top of our list. The program has all the necessary functions and user-friendly interface... It has its own widget that shows not only the current pressure, but also. If desired, you can set up automatic display of notifications on the display of your smartphone. Alerts of upcoming natural surprises will be displayed as an icon in the notification bar. Unfortunately, latest version SyPressure has an annoying bug: in the settings, sound warnings have started to turn on by themselves, and the phone can sometimes ring at the most inopportune time.

The upper part of the program window displays the atmospheric pressure in this moment time. You can choose from possible ways information output: scale, diagram or graph. The units of measurement can also be customized as desired: hPa (hectopascal), inHg (inch of mercury), mmHg (millimeter of mercury), psi (pounds per square inch), atm (physical atmosphere). At the bottom of the window, you can see the pressure fluctuations (rise / fall) and the expected weather changes. The notification settings panel is also located here.

The paid program is another useful tool for measuring atmospheric pressure and, compared to SyPressure, has more settings... Several options for displaying information are supported: indicator, graph, altimeter and list. In addition, the widgets displayed on the screen are varied in size: 1 × 1, 2 × 1, 2 × 2.

In the application, any of the functions can be configured extremely accurately. For example, in order to get more reliable weather reports, you should specify the baseline measurements for your location, and for an altimeter (altimeter) - the height above sea level. The pressure change graph can be used to set the desired display period (from 6 to 48 hours).

Here you can also choose the color of the main interface and indicators, change the transparency of the widgets. Like SyPressure, this tool works in a variety of units. In general, quite pleasant impressions are left from using the program. She, without a doubt, justifies its cost of 40 rubles.

Barometer reborn

Barometer Reborn is a simple barometer that allows you to track the amplitude of changes in atmospheric pressure in order to determine the effect of these factors on your well-being. This can be useful for those of us who experience headaches and other discomfort when the weather conditions change.

Knowing in advance about the upcoming natural metamorphoses, you can try to reduce their unpleasant effect to a minimum. For example, if the device shows an increase in atmospheric pressure, then on such days it is worth giving up increased physical activity. First of all, it is important for people suffering from respiratory diseases (such as asthma) or hypertension. On the contrary, a decrease in pressure should be a reason to spend more time outdoors.

Barometer & Altimeter

Barometer & Altimeter - the program uses a built-in GPS sensor (if there is none, it receives information from the Internet). You will be able to track atmospheric pressure, air temperature, wind speed, visibility, altitude. This information will certainly provide invaluable assistance to fans of extreme sports, tourists and travelers.

Agree that this is quite an interesting application and definitely deserves attention. Imagine how great it would be to set up a barometer and, having climbed onto the roof of a skyscraper, you can easily determine the altitude and atmospheric pressure.

The program is not demanding on the phone's memory resources and is very gentle on the battery power. The interface is as convenient as possible, the settings are not complicated. Young researchers of natural phenomena, using this tool, will be able to conduct the first scientific experiments, satisfy their curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

mu Barometer

mu Barometer is a free and very simple tool that records changes in barometric pressure readings. The application has an elegant design and a user-friendly interface, it uses such measuring units as mBar, mmHg, inHg, atm.

You can choose one of the three suggested themes for the widget displayed on the main screen of the phone. The program also allows you to measure and height (in meters or feet).

eWeather HD

EWeather HD app is a complete weather station for your Android. Here you will find detailed information on natural phenomena for the next 10 days. The first thing that attracts attention is the amazingly beautiful images of the sun and clouds. Looking at them, you forget what purpose you pursued by opening this program. But in addition to colorful drawings, there are a lot of other functions, and the forecasts are extremely accurate.

The main screen of the weather display contains a lot of useful information: humidity, pressure, temperature (real and perceived), sunrise and sunset times, moon phases, temperature change diagrams, precipitation probability, geomagnetism ... By the way, the last parameter should be paid attention to meteorological people. If geomagnetic storms bother you, before starting important business, do not forget to read the forecast.

Equally, this information will be useful to everyone who reacts painfully to the approach of a thunderstorm, precipitation and other natural phenomena. You will be able to observe changes in atmospheric pressure over the past 24 hours on a chart or graph, where, in case of unfavorable indicators, the indicator turns red.

It is impossible to list all the functions of this wonderful application, the interface of which from the point of view graphic design looks really cool.

According to medical statistics, more than half of the inhabitants of our planet react in one way or another to changing weather conditions. For some, these changes are almost imperceptible, while others, on the contrary, can hardly tolerate surges in atmospheric pressure, bursts of solar activity and magnetic storms. In addition, the vagaries of the weather often cause a deterioration in well-being in people with chronic diseases of the joints and cardiovascular system, suffering from hypertension or arterial hypotension.

Knowing ahead of time about the upcoming changes, you can try to minimize their negative impact on health. To always have the necessary information at hand, you just need to install one of the applications described above on your smartphone.

What components can be noted when looking at the body of a smartphone? This is, first of all, a rather large display, several keys under it, a microphone and several camera windows. In addition, at the ends of the device there will probably be a microUSB port, a volume rocker, a headphone output and a lock key. But does the device components end there? Of course not. Inside it there was a place for several processors, many circuits and, most importantly, several different sensors. Which ones can be found in modern devices? Let's find out.

As our colleagues from phonearena The accelerometer is one of the most common sensors. According to the classical definition, its task is to calculate the difference between the true acceleration of an object and the gravitational acceleration.
You've probably heard about the ways to use it. Without an accelerometer, smartphones would hardly change portrait orientation to landscape orientation and do without user clicks in all kinds of racing simulators.

Gyroscope

The gyroscope also provides data on the position of the device in space, but it does so with much greater accuracy. It is thanks to his help that the Photo Sphere application finds out how many degrees the smartphone was turned, and in which direction it was done.

Magnetometer

That's right, the magnetometer is designed to measure magnetic fields. If it weren't for it inside a smartphone, the compass app would hardly have been able to figure out where the North Pole is.

This sensor is a combination of an infrared diode and an infrared detector. Its principle of operation is incredibly simple. The diode emits radiation invisible to the human eye, and the detector tries to catch its reflection. The smartphone blocks the display just when the beam hits back.

Light sensor

Changing the brightness of the display yourself is a lot of work, right? The auto-brightness function is different, which changes the brightness level of the screen depending on the ambient radiation. Perhaps this is, as you probably already guessed, thanks to the light sensor.
It is worth noting that some representatives of the Galaxy line from the South Korean manufacturer Samsung use an updated light sensor. Its main feature is the ability to measure the proportion of white, red, green and blue light for further adjusting the picture on the screen.

Barometer

No, this is not a mistake. Some smartphones do have a built-in barometer to measure the level of atmospheric pressure. Among the first devices with this feature were the Motorola XOOM and Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
The barometer is also used to measure the altitude above sea level, which increases the accuracy of the GPS navigator.

Thermometer

You might be surprised, but a thermometer is found in almost every smartphone. The only difference is that the latter is designed to measure the temperature inside the device. However, there were also exceptions. The Galaxy S4 had a thermometer to measure the temperature overboard.

Air humidity sensor

In this, by the way, the fourth representative of the Galaxy S line also succeeded. Thanks to this sensor, the fourth "Galaxy" reported on the level of comfort - the ratio of temperature and humidity.

Pedometer

Despite the rather obscure name, the task of the pedometer is to determine the number of steps taken by the user. Yes, just like most smart watch and fitness bracelets. One of the first devices with a true pedometer was the Nexus 5.

The fingerprint scanner

Of course you have heard about this. Thanks to the fingerprint scanner, you can not only reduce the time to unlock your smartphone, but also reliably protect your data. Among the most popular devices with the notorious scanner are, Htc one Max and Samsung Galaxy S5.

Heart rate sensor

While we're on the subject of the current South Korean flagship, we can't fail to mention the heart rate sensor, designed to measure the pulse. However, many users openly doubt the need for its implementation.

Harmful radiation sensor

It is rather difficult to believe, but in this world there really is a smartphone with a built-in sensor of harmful radiation. The Japanese Sharp Pantone 5 can boast of its presence. special application the latter demonstrates the ambient radiation level. Unexpected, isn't it?

As a result, there were as many as 12 sensors. Which ones do you use the most?

Despite its compact size, modern smartphone contains powerful elements, including a camera with lenses and autofocus, a processor, a capacitive battery and all kinds of sensors that allow you to use the gadget more than just a "dialer". Let's take a closer look at what these sensors are for and how they work.

Smartphone light sensor

This is one of the most must-have sensors. It is a semiconductor sensor located next to the earpiece. Its main function is to save battery power. It catches the stream of photons and adjusts the brightness of the backlight of the screen. Most often it works in tandem with a proximity sensor.

Proximity sensor

This is a sensor that sits next to the light sensor and turns off the screen. It sends a signal to the object, if it is reflected, then the sensor reacts by turning off the screen. For example, this happens when you bring your smartphone to your ear.

Accelerometer (G-sensor)

This sensor is an e-mail. a mechanical device that records all the movements of the smartphone. Its task is to switch the screen when the device is tilted, to fix gestures, to participate in the management of games, to count steps. It can be 2-axis and 3-axis. In the latter case, at rest, one of the axes will show 9-10 m / s2. For example, the accelerometer does not respond to a stationary phone, so the accuracy is reduced in games. It almost always works in tandem with a gyroscope.

Gyroscope in the phone

This electromechanical scheme determines the position of the smartphone in space, takes into account its immobility. It is very accurate, the error is not more than 1-2 °. Used together with an accelerometer in gaming applications when controlling gestures.

Magnetometer in the phone

Determines the earth's magnetic field, measures position in 3-dimensional space. The main function of this sensor is to determine the location most accurately in the absence of a GPS signal. In other words, it is a digital compass that informs in which direction the smartphone is moving relative to the north. With the help of it and a special application, you can search for wiring in the walls.

These were the most advanced sensors found even in budget smartphones... More expensive gadgets may have additional sensors.

Barometer (pressure gauge)

Together with the magnetometer, it helps the smartphone to quickly determine its location, to catch the GPS signal. Direct purpose - to show atmospheric pressure and altitude. The higher you go, the less pressure. Readings are affected by atmospheric pressure and may not be accurate.

Temperature sensors

A good smartphone is packed with digital thermometers. Structurally, these are resistors with two leads, depending on the temperature between the leads, the resistance changes. This is how we find out the temperatures of the battery, processor and various controllers. It is he who turns off the charging so that the battery electrolyte does not boil. Environmental sensors are very rare. They have not proven themselves, because the internal temperature in the smartphone and the temperature at hand distort the data.

Hygrometer

Measures humidity, not very common, last used in Galaxy S4. Based on its readings, you can turn on the device to humidify or dehumidify the air in the room.

Heart rate monitor

It is a sensor for measuring heart rate (pulse). With its help, the load is corrected in the course of training. With this sensor, the smartphone should fit snugly against the blood vessels. Preinstalled on Galaxy S5, S7 (S7 Edge). Most often used in trackers and smartwatches.

The fingerprint scanner

This sensor is gaining more and more popularity. It instantly unlocks the device without entering a password and reliably protects the data on the device. Today, even little-known smartphone manufacturers are trying to equip their brainchildren with them. The first smartphone to receive it was the iPhone 5S.

Retina scanner

In 2016, the infamous Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was equipped with this sensor. In terms of speed, it is not inferior to a fingerprint scanner. The infrared beam scans the iris retina of the eye, fixes it and encodes it into an algorithm, with which it is subsequently compared. It is noteworthy that it works even in the dark, identifies through transparent glasses and lenses.

A modern premium smartphone has at least 12 sensors, among the leaders are iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, HTC. How many sensors are on your smartphone?