A Ball-and-Bearing Inertial Sensor or Angular Motion Detector (Updated last month)

You can view this bundle in the SFSU Over the Years collection area.

A gimbal-mounted sensor system or ball-type inertial feedback device—possibly designed to simulate:Angular momentum, Pitch, roll, or yaw sensing or to act as a control interface responding to subtle directional movements.

Tags: historic technology

Added to SFSU Over the Years on July 31, 2026.

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Information

  • Identifier: TP-ATA-1876
  • Context: <h5 data-start="1467" data-end="1521"><strong data-start="1474" data-end="1521">Likely Use in the Flight Simulator Context:</strong></h5> <ul data-start="1522" data-end="1917"> <li data-start="1522" data-end="1679"> <p data-start="1524" data-end="1679"><strong data-start="1524" data-end="1539">As a sensor</strong>: It may simulate how a spacecraft or aircraft responds to changes in angular position&mdash;especially in a &ldquo;free-floating&rdquo; or lunar environment.</p> </li> <li data-start="1680" data-end="1815"> <p data-start="1682" data-end="1815"><strong data-start="1682" data-end="1705">As a feedback input</strong>: It could detect motion of a model or simulated "pilot mass" and feed that data back into the control system.</p> </li> <li data-start="1816" data-end="1917"> <p data-start="1818" data-end="1917"><strong data-start="1818" data-end="1846">As an inertial demo tool</strong>: For teaching students about gyroscopic principles and motion physics.</p> </li> </ul> <h5 data-start="1924" data-end="1959"><strong data-start="1932" data-end="1959">Design Characteristics:</strong></h5> <ul data-start="1960" data-end="2209"> <li data-start="1960" data-end="2025"> <p data-start="1962" data-end="2025">Transparent acrylic enclosure: for <strong data-start="1997" data-end="2025">observation and teaching</strong></p> </li> <li data-start="2026" data-end="2115"> <p data-start="2028" data-end="2115">High-quality machined components: typical of <strong data-start="2073" data-end="2115">mid-20th century engineering education</strong></p> </li> <li data-start="2116" data-end="2209"> <p data-start="2118" data-end="2209">Wiring and analog interfacing: consistent with <strong data-start="2165" data-end="2209">1960s&ndash;early 70s instructional simulators</strong></p> </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Credits:</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>Some technical descriptions and historical interpretations were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.</p>
  • Geographic Coverage: San Francisco, CA
  • Type: Still Image
  • Format: Negative
  • Source: San Francisco State University Archives
  • Rights: Public

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