Advanced Motion Tracking: Adafruit 9-DOF Absolute Orientation IMU Fusion Breakout - BNO055 Review
The Adafruit 9-DOF Absolute Orientation IMU Fusion Breakout board, showcasing 9 degrees of freedom! Being on a breakout board, the BNO055 has everything it needs to work, including power management and filtering, and it only requires an external controller to read data. This IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) is designed for seamless sensor integration.
Why is the Adafruit 9-DOF Absolute Orientation IMU Fusion Breakout board Awesome?
Why is this board awesome? Well, having 9 degrees of freedom (Murcia!), this board can provide accurate data on maintaining absolute orientation, which can be extremely important in some applications (such as AR, VR, and rocket guidance systems). Furthermore, as this board also incorporates additional sensors, including a magnetometer and temperature sensor, there is more to it than meets the eye.
Features and Specs of the Adafruit 9-DOF Absolute Orientation IMU Fusion Breakout
Well, if it wasn’t already obvious, this board has 9 degrees of freedom, and these are derived from a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, and a 3-axis geomagnetic sensor. Basically, it knows when it moves, it knows when it rolls, and it knows the strength of the earth's magnetic field in all three axis.
- 9 degrees of freedom: 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis magnetometer
- Integrated 32-bit microcontroller running BSX3.0 FusionLib
- Provides absolute orientation data using sensor fusion
- Communicates via I2C
- Small form factor: 20mm x 27mm x 4mm
- Lightweight: 3 grams
- Compatible with Arduino and CircuitPython
- Ideal for AR/VR, robotics, and motion-tracking applications
- But also integrated into this sensor is a 32-bit microcontroller running BSX3.0 FusionLib, which allows for the sensor to produce orientation data based on sensor fusion technology that constantly measure the output of each internal sensor. Furthermore, the type of measurement made can be adjusted, meaning that absolute positioning can be determined based on what sensors you want it to use.
The board itself integrates all the parts that are needed to make this sensor work, bar the main controller that reads the data produced by the sensor. However, thanks to the use of I2C, reading data to and from the sensor couldn’t be easier. With a tiny size of 20m x 27mm x 4mm and a barely measurable weight of 3g, this breakout board will surely bring your designs to new dimensions. This board is also compatible with Arduino projects and CircuitPython, making it versatile for DIY electronics projects.
What Projects Can You do With This board?
Undoubtedly, the first project that comes to mind is anything that relates to AR and VR. With the high refresh rate of 100Hz, you can easily get real-time data that will nicely match up with typical screen refresh rates, and the ability for this board to provide extremely accurate results means that actions done in real-life will be correctly translated into virtual reality applications and augmented reality systems. This makes it an excellent choice for virtual reality development and augmented reality projects.
Another excellent use for this board would be in model rockets. Simply put, during a rocket's flight, sensors are needed to check the rocket's orientation and, if required, make adjustments to the... flaps…those things on the end near all that fire. The point is that the high refresh rate sensors offered by this board mean that it is easy to get real-time data from such a sensor and make minute adjustments rapidly. Just don’t put the sensor on upside down like some Russian scientists accidentally did, with the rocket doing a U-turn!
One more project idea that could make great use of this breakout board is an advanced asset tracker. While not suitable for tiny posted items, if you were to ship something extremely precious, such as a Ming Vase, you could include a small circuit that constantly detects the velocity, acceleration, and orientation to ensure that the parcel has been transported carefully. Thus, next time your postman decides to do karate practice precious packages, you will know!
Adafruit 9-DOF Absolute Orientation IMU Fusion Breakout - Final Thoughts
The Adafruit 9-DOF Absolute Orientation IMU Fusion Breakout board is an excellent tiny addition to any project that needs absolute orientation sensing. Its small size and tiny weight mean that it can be incorporated into the smallest of projects making it a compact orientation sensor. The high refresh rate means that you can get sensor data extremely fast, ensuring precise sensor data acquisition. This lightweight sensor board is perfect for a variety of DIY electronics projects.
The Adafruit 9-DOF Absolute Orientation IMU Fusion Breakout board is currently in stock and shipping worldwide from the Electromaker store!
Robin Mitchell is an electronic engineer who has been involved in electronics since the age of 13. After completing a BEng at the University of Warwick, Robin moved into the field of online content creation developing articles, news pieces, and projects aimed at professionals and makers alike. Currently, Robin runs a small electronics business, MitchElectronics, which produces educational kits and resources.
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