Uses For An Electric Clinometer

By Author: Thelma Micco
Total Articles: 7
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Clinometers are specialized devices that are used to measure the angle of slope, elevation, or depression of an object or surface. They have been in existence for hundreds of years and have long been an important instrument in sea navigation. These devices are especially useful when measuring the elevation, or change in elevation, of a surface over a distance, and have multiple practical applications in a variety of industries and disciplines. For example, land surveyors can often be seen using clinometers or similar instruments when they are measuring the incline of parcels of land for construction purposes. However, the clinometer has a few potential drawbacks that arise from it being a mechanical instrument. First, mechanical clinometers are precision instruments that require meticulous maintenance. Also, these devices are particularly susceptible to corrosion and the effects of mechanical wear. However, recent advancements in technology have lead to the development of electronic clinometers, and these devices offer the benefits and utility of their mechanical counterparts, while also being more durable and requiring less ...
... maintenance.

An electric clinometer is extremely precise, and can be used when high levels of accuracy are required for tilt and elevation measurements. Also, because they are entirely electronic, with no moving parts, electric clinometers are easier to maintain, and can be integrated into other systems where their information can become immediately actionable by personnel or by other equipment. Some examples of use cases for electric clinometers are:

Precision robotics applications. Because modern factories are often automated to some degree, they generally make use of very precise robotics. These robotics are able to perform the same motion repeatedly without being subject to the fatigue that humans will face. However, because many robotics applications must perform intricate maneuvers to complete their tasks, a common element in the robotics interface is an electric clinometer. These devices allow the robotic elements to have precise "awareness" as to their elevation, tilt, etc. and, thus, they are able to execute human-like movements repeatedly and accurately.

Off-road vehicles and equipment. Whenever a vehicle travels "off road" it will invariably encounter uneven terrain. While all off road vehicles are designed to surmount this terrain to some degree, there will always be maximum levels of tilt and incline that the vehicle can achieve before it risks rolling or falling over. To help mitigate this risk, which could be costly in terms of equipment damage or, worse, could cause injury to personnel, many off road vehicles now employ an electric clinometer to act as an elevation and tilt warning system. These clinometers are integrated directly into the onboard computers of vehicles, which means that active suspension and braking systems can make use of the information immediately, rather than waiting for the human operator to act on it. This means that vehicles remain more stable, and are less likely to endanger humans or other equipment.

Regardless of the application, the electric clinometer is a device that is seeing increasing use in almost all industries. Because the nature of modern equipment means that it is often used in hostile and uneven environments, it is necessary to have up to the second, actionable tilt information. The information from an electric clinometer thus gives equipment operators, or sometimes the equipment itself, the ability to react to changes in tilt and elevation, which means safer and more stable equipment and vehicles can finish their work while keeping human operators safe. For more information about electric clinometers, visit Reiker Inc. on the web today at www.riekerinc.com.

Thelma Micco is a freelance writer and blogger for Reiker Inc.,who is interested in precision tilt measurement and construction. For more information about tilt sensing technology, and to see what options you have for choosing an electric clinometer and electronic inclinometer, visit Reiker Inc. on the web today at www.reikerinc.com.