An accelerometer is a motion sensor. It measures the acceleration or movement of something. A mobile phone uses an accelerometer to detect when it should switch the screen view from portrait to landscape as you move it and game consoles use accelerometers to detect the tilt of the controller and adjust the game view accordingly.
Accelerometers are also used in rockets to measure changes in speed and orientation and in car airbags to detect a sudden change in speed signaling a collision is about to happen and the airbag should inflate. The BBC micro:bit accelerometer measures movement of the micro:bit, so when you tilt it left to right, backwards and forwards and up and down the micro:bit knows it's being moved and which way it's being moved. The accelerometer can detect being shaken, dropped or turned upside down so you can use it to create lots of fun, interesting and helpful projects.
You can program the accelerometer on your micro:bit to create projects like a step counter where it senses the movement of your steps and count how many you take. You can also design and build games that respond to motion or make a fall alarm to signal if a person has fallen over and needs help. The micro:bit accelerometer is a great feature to use in your interactive projects.
How might you use the accelerometer?
