Motion and Orientation Sensors
These sensors work together to determine the device's movement, direction, and spatial orientation.
A. Accelerometer (مقياس التسارع)
The accelerometer in smartphones detects acceleration, vibration, and tilt to determine precise movement and direction along three axes.
Function: Applications use this sensor to determine whether your phone is in portrait or landscape orientation. It can also detect if the screen is facing up or down.
Speed Detection: The accelerometer can also detect how quickly your phone is moving in any direction.
B. Gyroscope (الجيروسكوب)
The gyroscope provides detailed orientation and direction information (such as up, down, left, or right) but with greater precision, measuring the degree of the device's tilt.
Key Differenc: Unlike the accelerometer, the gyroscope can also measure rotation. This allows it to determine the amount and direction of the smartphone's spin.
Applications: Popular apps like Pokemon Go and Google Sky Map use the gyroscope sensor to accurately determine the orientation of your smartphone in 3D space.
C. Magnetometer / Compass (البوصلة / مقياس المغناطيسية)
Smartphones are equipped with a magnetometer, commonly known as the compass, which detects magnetic fields.
Function: The compass application uses this sensor to point towards the Earth's magnetic North Pole.
Mapping: When you open Google Maps or Apple Maps, the magnetometer is activated to determine the absolute orientation of the map relative to your position.
Additional Use: This sensor is also effective at detecting metal, making it useful in metal detection applications.
Note: The absolute orientation of the phone (pitch, yaw, and roll) is detected by the combined input of the accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer.
Location and Environment Sensors
A. GPS Sensor (مستشعر نظام تحديد المواقع العالمي)
The Global Positioning System (GPS) unit in a smartphone communicates with satellites to determine your precise location on Earth.
Functionality: GPS technology does not actually use internet data. This is why you can find your location on maps even after losing internet signals. However, the map details remain blurry because the internet is required to load the map imagery (this is how offline maps work).
Applications: GPS is used in all location-based applications such as Uber and Google Maps .
Integration: The accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and GPS work together to create the perfect navigation system in our smartphones.
B. Proximity Sensor (مستشعر القرب)
The proximity sensor uses infrared light (LED) and an infrared detector to determine how close the phone is to an external object.
Primary Use: It is primarily used during calls. When the phone is brought close to the face, the sensor detects it and disables the screen light and touch input to prevent accidental touches during the call.
C. Ambient Light Sensor (مستشعر الإضاءة المحيطة)
The light sensor detects the light levels in the surrounding area and adjusts the screen brightness accordingly.
Function: It is used for automatic brightness adjustment, reducing or increasing the smartphone screen brightness based on the available ambient light.
Input and Biometric Sensors
A. Microphone (الميكروفون)
The microphone sensor is essentially a sound sensor that detects and measures the loudness of sound.
Technology: Although various types of microphone sensors are available, smartphones generally use miniature electret microphones.
Uses: Beyond making and receiving calls, it is used for voice search and voice commands for digital assistant applications like Google Assistant, Siri, and Cortana.
B. Touch Sensors (مجسات اللمس)
s in the touch screen have an electrical current running through them at all times. Touching the screen causes a change in the electrical signals, and this change acts as input for the device to initiate an action.
C. Fingerprint Sensor (مستشعر بصمات الأصابع)
The fingerprint sensor enables biometric verification to secure many smartphones today, eliminating the need for passwords and patterns.
Mechanism: When you place your finger on its surface, the ridges in your fingerprint make contact while the valleys create a slight distance. The sensor measures the varying distances and patterns between the ridges on your finger's surface.
Utility: This sensor is highly useful in applications requiring authentication, such as mobile payment apps.
D. Pedometer (عداد الخطى)
The pedometer is used for step counting, often integrated into fitness trackers on phones.
Mechanism: Pedometers generally use the values generated by the acceleromete to monitor your movements, such as running or walking, and calculate the number of steps taken.
E. Barcode / QR Code Sensors (مجسات الباركود / رمز الاستجابة السريعة)
(Note: This is typically the phone's camera combined with software, rather than a dedicated hardware sensor, but it functions as a sensing input.)
The camera, combined with specialized software, acts as a sensor to read and decode information stored in barcodes and QR codes.The smartphone sensor
Specialized Measurement Sensors
A. Barcode / QR Code Scanner (ماسح الباركود / رمز الاستجابة السريعة)
Most smartphones feature barcode sensors (utilizing the camera) that can read barcodes by detecting the light reflected from the code.
Mechanism: The sensor generates an analog signal with varying voltage representing the barcode. This analog signal is then converted into a digital signal and finally decoded to reveal the embedded information.
Utility: Barcode sensors are useful for scanning product barcodes or QR codes.
B. Barometer (البارومتر)
Many high-end Android phones (such as the Pixel series) and iPhones include a barometer in their hardware.
Function: The barometer measures air pressure. This makes it highly useful for detecting weather changes and calculating the altitude you are currently at.
C. Heart Rate Sensor (مستشعر معدل ضربات القلب)
This sensor measures heartbeats with the aid of an LED light and optical sensors.
Mechanism: An LED light is emitted towards the skin, and this smartphone sensor looks for the light waves that are reflected back. A difference in light intensity occurs when a pulse is detected. Heartbeats are measured by calculating the changes in light intensity between the minute pulsations of the blood vessels.
Applications: Many fitness and health applications use this method to calculate the heart rate.
D. Thermometer (مقياس درجة الحرارة)
Every smartphone comes with a built-in thermometer to monitor the temperature inside the device and the battery. If a component overheats, the system shuts itself down to prevent damage.
Ambient Temperature: However, some phones come with additional thermometers to measure the ambient (surrounding) temperature.
E. Air Humidity Sensor (مستشعر رطوبة الهواء)
The Samsung Galaxy S4 was one of the first smartphones to include an air humidity sensor.
Function: This sensor can measure the humidity in the air. The data it collects informs the user whether the air temperature and humidity are optimal or not. However, this type of sensor is used only by selected phone models.
F. Geiger Counter (عداد جيجر)
This is one smartphone sensor you should not expect to find in common devices. In fact, only one phone has ever supported it: the Sharp Pantone 5, which was released exclusively in Japan.
Function: The Geiger counter in the phone can measure the current radiation level in the area.
G. NFC Sensor (مستشعر الاتصال قريب المدى)
NFC stands for Near Field Communication. It is a technology through which encrypted data can be transferred between two smartphones simply by placing them close to each other (within 4 cm).
Conclusion
There are many technologies built into our phones that we often take for granted. These are some of the most important smartphone sensors you should know about. As smartphones become smarter every day and sensors play a major role in them, this list is sure to grow longer.
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