docs/html/guide/topics/sensors/index.jd

page.title=Sensors
@jd:body

<div id="qv-wrapper">
  <div id="qv">
  <h2>Topics</h2>
    <ol>
      <li><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/sensors/sensors_overview.html">Sensors Overview</a></li>
      <li><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/sensors/sensors_motion.html">Motion Sensors</a></li>
      <li><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/sensors/sensors_position.html">Position
          Sensors</a></li>
      <li><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/sensors/sensors_environment.html">Environment
          Sensors</a></li>
    </ol>
  <h2>Key classes and interfaces</h2>
    <ol>
      <li>{@link android.hardware.Sensor}</li>
      <li>{@link android.hardware.SensorEvent}</li>
      <li>{@link android.hardware.SensorManager}</li>
      <li>{@link android.hardware.SensorEventListener}</li>
    </ol>
  <h2>Related samples</h2>
    <ol>
      <li><a href="{@docRoot}resources/samples/AccelerometerPlay/index.html">Accelerometer
          Play</a></li>
      <li><a
href="{@docRoot}resources/samples/ApiDemos/src/com/example/android/apis/os/RotationVectorDemo.html">
API Demos (OS - RotationVectorDemo)</a></li>
      <li><a
href="{@docRoot}resources/samples/ApiDemos/src/com/example/android/apis/os/Sensors.html">API Demos
(OS - Sensors)</a></li>
    </ol>
  </div>
</div>

<p>Most Android-powered devices have built-in sensors that measure motion, orientation,
and various environmental conditions. These sensors are capable of providing raw data with high
precision and accuracy, and are useful if you want to monitor three-dimensional device movement or
positioning, or you want to monitor changes in the ambient environment near a device. For example, a
game might track readings from a device's gravity sensor to infer complex user gestures
and motions, such as tilt, shake, rotation, or swing. Likewise, a weather application might use a
device's temperature sensor and humidity sensor to calculate and report the dewpoint, or a travel
application might use the geomagnetic field sensor and accelerometer to report a compass
bearing.</p>

<p>The Android platform supports four broad categories of sensors:</p>

<ul>
  <li>Motion sensors
    <p>These sensors measure acceleration forces and rotational forces along three axes. This
      category includes accelerometers, gravity sensors, gyroscopes, and rotational vector
      sensors.</p>
  </li>
  <li>Environmental sensors
    <p>These sensors measure various environmental parameters, such as ambient air temperature
      and pressure, illumination, and humidity. This category includes barometers, photometers, and
      thermometers.</p>
  </li>
  <li>Position sensors
    <p>These sensors measure the physical position of a device. This category includes
      orientation sensors and magnetometers.</p>
  </li>
</ul>

<p>To access these sensors, you can use the Android sensor framework. The sensor framework provides
several classes and interfaces that help you perform a wide variety of sensor-related tasks. To
learn more about the framework and the sensors that are supported on the Android system, read the
following documents:</p>

<dl>
  <dt><strong><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/sensors/sensors_overview.html">Sensors
        Overview</a></strong></dt>
    <dd>Learn how to list the sensors that are on a device, set up sensor event listeners, and
      acquire sensor data. Also learn best practices for accessing and using sensors.</dd>
  <dt><strong><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/sensors/sensors_motion.html">Motion
        Sensors</a></strong></dt>
    <dd>Learn how to use the sensors that provide acceleration data, such as the accelerometer,
      gravity sensor, and linear acceleration sensor. Also learn how to use the sensors that
      provide rotational data, such as gyroscopes and rotational vector sensors.</dd>
  <dt><strong><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/sensors/sensors_position.html">Position
      Sensors</a></strong></dt>
    <dd>Learn how to use the sensors that provide orientation and compass data, such as the
      orientation sensor and the geomagnetic field sensor.</dd>
  <dt><strong><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/sensors/sensors_environment.html">Environment
        Sensors</a></strong></dt>
    <dd>Learn how to use the sensors that provide environmental data, such as the light,
      humidity, pressure, temperature, and proximity sensors.</dd>
</dl>