A Hacker News commenter clarifies a point from a YouTube video about how gyroscopes became so small. The video's subject is the MEMS gyro, a microelectromechanical sensor found in IMUs, or inertial measurement units.
The commenter explains that an IMU cannot determine a device's position. It can measure rotation easily. Position could in theory be estimated by double-integrating accelerometer readings to get distance moved, but the positional drift that builds up over time from this double integration is far too large to be useful in any meaningful application.
The commenter also notes that a well-regarded video on YouTube explores this limitation in the context of a VR headset. They did not provide a link, saying they could not be bothered to find it at that moment.
The exchange highlights a common misconception about motion sensing. Rotation tracking with gyroscopes is practical, while accurate position tracking requires additional sensors or methods to correct the drift.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing