ORIENTATION SENSING APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR DETERMINING AN ORIENTATION

摘要

An orientation sensing apparatus includes a rotatable first member defining an x-y plane perpendicular to an axis of rotation and a z-axis coincident with the axis of rotation, an orientation sensor device for generating orientation data, and a rotation sensor device for generating first member rotation data. The orientation sensor device includes first, second and third accelerometers for sensing first, second and third sensed components in first, second and third directions respectively which are substantially perpendicular to each other. The rotation sensor device includes the first accelerometer, which is offset from the z- axis and oriented such that the first direction is substantially within the x-y plane and tangential to the rotation of the first member, and a fourth accelerometer for sensing a fourth sensed component in a fourth direction, which is offset from the z-axis and oriented such that the fourth direction is substantially opposite to the first direction.