Collection: IMU & Accelerometer Sensors

IMU (inertial measurement unit) sensors measure tilt, rotation and acceleration. They are the parts that keep self-balancing robots upright, count steps, steer gesture-controlled robots and stabilise drones.

The MPU-6050 is the standard choice. It combines a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope on one chip, talks over I2C at address 0x68, and runs on 3.3-5V, so it fits both Arduino and ESP32.
- The accelerometer measures gravity and movement, and so tells you tilt.
- The gyroscope measures how fast the sensor is rotating.
- Real builds combine both, because each covers the other's weakness.
The MPU-9250 adds a magnetometer, giving 9-axis tracking and a compass heading.
Simpler accelerometers such as the ADXL345 measure tilt and knocks on three axes over I2C or SPI, without a gyroscope.

How to choose:

Pick the MPU-6050 for balance, gesture and step-counting projects.
Pick a 9-axis IMU when you need to know which way is north.
Pick an ADXL345 when you only need tilt or shock detection.

Mount the sensor firmly. Loose mounting adds vibration that looks like motion in the data.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between 6-axis and 9-axis?

A 6-axis IMU has an accelerometer and gyroscope. A 9-axis IMU adds a magnetometer for compass heading.

Why does a project need both accelerometer and gyroscope?

The accelerometer gives tilt from gravity but is noisy in motion. The gyroscope tracks rotation smoothly but drifts. Combining them gives a stable angle.