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History of gyroscopesThe earliest known gyroscope-like instrument was made by German Johann Bohnenberger, whofirst wrote about it in 1817. At first he called it the "Machine". [3][4]Bohnenberger's machine was based ona rotating massive sphere.[5]In 1832, American Walter R. Johnson developed a similar device that wasbased on a rotating disk.[6][7]The French mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace, working at the colePolytechnique in Paris, recommended the machine for use as a teaching aid, and thus it came to theattention ofLon Foucault.[8]In 1852, Foucault used it in an experiment involving the rotation of theEarth.[9][10]It was Foucault who gave the device its modern name, in an experiment to see(Greek skopeein, to see) the Earth's rotation (Greek gyros, circle or rotation),[11] which was visible in the8 to 10 minutes before friction slowed the spinning rotor.

In the 1860s, the advent of electric motors made it possible for a gyroscope to spin indefinitely;

this led to the first prototype gyrocompasses. The first functional marine gyrocompass was patentedin 1904 by German inventorHermann Anschtz-Kaempfe.[12] The American Elmer Sperry followed withhis own design later that year, and other nations soon realized the military importance of the inventionin an age in which naval prowess was the most significant measure of military powerand created their

own gyroscope industries. The Sperry Gyroscope Company quickly expanded to provide aircraft andnaval stabilizers as well, and other gyroscope developers followed suit.[13]

In 1917, the Chandler Company ofIndianapolis, created the "Chandler gyroscope", a toy gyroscopewith a pull string and pedestal. Chandler continued to produce the toy until the company was purchasedby TEDCO inc. in 1982. The chandler toy is still produced by TEDCO today .[14]

In the first several decades of the 20th century, other inventors attempted (unsuccessfully) to usegyroscopes as the basis for early black box navigational systems by creating a stable platform fromwhich accurate acceleration measurements could be performed (in order to bypass the need for starsightings to calculate position). Similar principles were later employed in the development ofinertialguidance systems forballistic missiles.[15]

During World War II, the gyroscope became the prime component for aircraft and anti-aircraft gunsights.[16]

Gyroscopes are also being used in portable electronic devices such as Apple's current

generation of iPad and iPhone. The accelerometer provides 6 component motion sensing,

measuring the extent and rate of rotation in space (roll, pitch and yaw)

12th Sept1743

"Serson's Speculum" sextant was first tested. Basically this is a spinning to top thathas a flat mirror like surface on the top. It was designed to be used at sea in foggyor misty conditions. By looking through the line of sight through a quadrant at the

reflected image of the sun in the mirror (Seron's speculum) and aligning this withthe direct light of the sun, a angle can be taken. Halving this angle gives the truehorizon (even if the horizon cannot be seen). The idea is that the Seron's speculum(spinning top) can be aligned with the horizon.

1754 Details of "Serson's Speculum" are published in "The Gentleman's Magazine" 1754Vol 24 p. 446-448.

1817 Johann Bohnenberger (at the University of Tubingen) 'discovered' the gyroscope(gyroscope name was coined in 1852).

1831 Professor Walter R. Johnson of the University of Pennsylvania exhibited a"Rotascope".

1836 Scotsman Mr. Edward Sang suggested an experiment using a device like agyroscope to the Royal Scottish Society of Arts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Bohnenbergerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Bohnenbergerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-Simon_Laplacehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89cole_Polytechniquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89cole_Polytechniquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_Foucaulthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyrocompasshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Ansch%C3%BCtz-Kaempfehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Sperryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperry_Gyroscope_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box_(systems)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_guidance_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_guidance_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_missilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-15http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-15http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Bohnenbergerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-Simon_Laplacehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89cole_Polytechniquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89cole_Polytechniquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_Foucaulthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyrocompasshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Ansch%C3%BCtz-Kaempfehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Sperryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperry_Gyroscope_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box_(systems)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_guidance_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_guidance_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_missilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope#cite_note-15

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1852 The French scientist Jean Bernard Leon Foucault (1826-64) first used the namegyroscope. Conducted many experiments with gyroscopes and was credited with theinvention of the gyroscope.

1852-1968 A new style of demonstration gyroscope is created that uses gravitational torque toget a gyroscope to rotate around a centre base. The design was created by Julius

Plcker 1801-1868 and Friedrich Fessel 1821- ca. 1860.

1898 Original patent of an Austrian engineer M. Obry was finialized after being sold toWhitehead Torpedo Works Fiume.

1904 H. Anschtz-Kaempfe patented a ships gyrocompass on 26th March 1904, based onwork from 1901.

17th July1906

Gyrostabilizer experiments carried out by Herr Otto Schlick on the "Sea-bar"torpedo-boat.

1908 First working ships gyrocompass was developed by H. Anschtz-Kaempfe

1908 First apparatus for steadying a ship in England was installed in October, 1908 toR.M.S Lochiel. Construction was carried out at the Neptune Works of Swan, Hunter

And Wigham Richardson (Newcastle).

1909 Elmer A. Sperry built the first automatic pilot for aircraft using gyroscopes.

1911 Elmer A. Sperry started selling gyrocompasses in US and later in Britain.

1915 Sperry Company (Elmer A. Sperry) installed the first Sperry gyrostabilizer to stoproll on ships.

1916 The Anschtz Company completed and installed the first automatic pilot for a ship.

1916 First artificial horizon in aircraft used.