posted 01-16-2014 11:46 AM ET (US)        

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I just came across this recent article about building an autopilot by using an Arduino as host computation device. It is quite an interesting application for the Arduino. See:

http://themarineinstallersrant.blogspot.com/2013/12/ the-arduino-autopilot-that-jack-built.html

The auto-pilot project uses an amazing integrated circuit device to get compass heading and other data. See

http://www.pololu.com/product/1268

The Pololu board provides a three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer, and three-axis magnetometer for $40. The developer also includes Arduino code to acquire the data from the chip.

posted 01-18-2014 09:48 AM ET (US)            

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I noticed that Pololu is also offering a device they call an orientation sensor. This device is assembled into an enclosure and has its own processor that can be used to interface to other devices. It is only $200:

http://www.pololu.com/product/1255

It would be an interesting project to install one of these orientation sensors on a small boat, then record the various motions and accelerations into a data file. In that way you could have a real analysis of the ride characteristics of your boat. You'd have data for the rotational axis of pitch, roll, and yaw, and the linear axis for heave, sway, and surge. Then you could say, with some precision, just how smooth the ride of a certain hull was in poor sea conditions.

posted 01-18-2014 11:00 AM ET (US)            

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Wouldn't this app do pretty much the same thing since it gives you the x, y, and z accelerations?

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/seismometer-6th/id362472189?mt=8