Introduction to Sensor API

This provides developers with the ability to create applications that respond to and interact with the physical world.

Sensor API

A Sensor API is a Web API that allows us to access and collect sensor data from various sensors embedded in devices such as smartphones, wearables, and IoT (Internet of Things) devices.

This API provides access to a wide range of sensors, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and more. Each sensor provides a different type of data that can be used to detect motion, location, orientation, and other environmental factors.

Types of Sensors

There are several types of sensors that can be accessed using the Sensor API, each with its own unique capabilities and applications. Here is an overview of some of the most common sensor types:

• Accelerometer: An accelerometer measures the acceleration of an object in three dimensions. It is commonly used to detect changes in orientation and motion, such as screen rotation or shaking of a device.

• Gyroscope: A gyroscope measures the rate of rotation around three axes. It is commonly used to detect changes in orientation and motion, such as when a device is tilted or rotated.

• Magnetometer: A magnetometer measures the strength and direction of magnetic fields. It is commonly used for compass applications, which provide users with directional information based on their location and orientation.

Accessing Sensor Data

Let’s take the accelerometer sensor as an example. The first step is to create an Accelerometer object and set the frequency to 30 Hz. Then, we create a function called handleAccelerometerData to handle the accelerometer data when it becomes available. Inside the function, we retrieve the accelerometer data from the event object and use it in our application.

Note: In order to use this sensor, you need to provide authorization via Permissions API

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// Get the accelerometer sensor object
const accelerometerSensor = new Accelerometer({ frequency: 30 });
// Create a function to handle accelerometer data
function handleAccelerometerData(event) {
  // Retrieve the accelerometer data from the event object
  let x = event.target.x;
  let y = event.target.y;
  let z = event.target.z;
  
  // Use the accelerometer data 
}
// Register the accelerometer sensor listener
accelerometerSensor.addEventListener('reading', handleAccelerometerData);
// Start the accelerometer sensor
accelerometerSensor.start();

Browser Support

The Sensor API is supported by most modern web browsers like Google Chrome, Opera, Edge, etc. However, some older web browsers may not support this API.

Wrap Up

That's all for this guide. The Sensor API serves as the foundation for more advanced APIs You can check our guide on the Device Motion and Orientation API, which helps to learn more about additional sensor data control to create more sophisticated applications.

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