Calculating fall distance and speed

[haphadon]

Hi, I was wondering if I could get some help with this question.

I want to know if it would be possible to use the iPhone's Gyroscope and/or Accelerometer to calculate the distance and/or speed of a fall.

For example, assuming that the iPhone is placed flat down on a chair or elevator, the chair/elevator falls (in the elevators case goes down) with the iPhone on it in a perfectly flat position. Using the Gyroscope and/or Accelerometer would it be possible to calculate the distance and/or speed of the fall.

Thanks,

Kevin

[Duncan C]

Originally Posted by haphadon

Hi, I was wondering if I could get some help with this question.

I want to know if it would be possible to use the iPhone's Gyroscope and/or Accelerometer to calculate the distance and/or speed of a fall.

For example, assuming that the iPhone is placed flat down on a chair or elevator, the chair/elevator falls (in the elevators case goes down) with the iPhone on it in a perfectly flat position. Using the Gyroscope and/or Accelerometer would it be possible to calculate the distance and/or speed of the fall.

Thanks,

Kevin

Not accurately, no.

Small measurement errors are amplified over time, and after just a few seconds, the measurement error totally confuses the calculated distance.