Simple and High-Resolution Electric-Contact Tilt Sensor with Small Conductive Sphere

Tilt sensors are used in applications such as drone attitude control, human motion detection, and structural monitoring. To simplify the system, electric-contact tilt sensors, which can detect tilt by simply turning a direct current on and off, have been proposed. However, conventional electric-contact tilt sensors have low-resolution, which restricts their application. In this study, we demonstrated simple and high-resolution electric-contact tilt sensors with just one small conductive sphere and 3D electrodes. A resolution of 5° was confirmed as the sensor output, resulting in simpler and higher-resolution than conventional electric-contact tilt sensors. The output voltage of the tilt sensor was maintained during 200 cycles of tilt tests, confirming its high repetition tolerance. In addition, an automatic levelling circuit was constructed using the tilt sensor developed in this study and operated correctly. This fundamental study of novel structures for electric-contact tilt sensors is expected to become a cornerstone for various applications, contributing to the simplification and power consumption reduction of conventional systems.