According to information and analytics provider IHS, shipments of motion sensors in smartphones and tablets will rise to 4.2 billion units in 2015, up from 1.5 billion in 2011. The Android, Apple iOS, and Windows 8 operating systems have each created standard APIs for developers to leverage the unique functionality of these sensors and develop a wide range of motion aware and motion controlled applications.
However, sensors and the current APIs are just a part of the motion control story for mobile devices. The data from each individual sensor must be gathered, processed and calibrated by advanced motion processing software to improve accuracy, reduce drift, and diminish the impact of external magnetic fields. This software provides the quality data needed to power advanced motion-based applications. In addition, the current APIs from the OS suppliers must be extended to enable new functionality for application developers – such as context awareness and gesture recognition.
You can read the rest of this article in the September issue of Electronic Specifier Design by clicking here.