{"id":15577,"date":"2017-05-14T17:11:32","date_gmt":"2017-05-14T11:41:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/?p=15577"},"modified":"2017-05-14T17:21:50","modified_gmt":"2017-05-14T11:51:50","slug":"10-unique-ways-to-use-the-sensors-on-your-android-device","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/10-unique-ways-to-use-the-sensors-on-your-android-device\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Unique Ways to Use the Sensors on Your Android Device"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each Android phone accompanies various sensors, that sustain information to the gadget, and enable it to react precisely to a plenty of data sources. Practically every gadget in the market has a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, gyroscope, and the preferences; and we scarcely ever see how they’re being utilized. In any case, there are a huge number of cool things that are made conceivable because of these sensors. In case you’re pondering about the sorts of things your Android phone can do, because of the sensors it has, here are 10 novel ways you can utilize the sensors on your Android gadget:<\/p>\n[ad type=”banner”]\n

Proximity Sensor<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The proximity sensor is responsible for turning your screen off when you\u00a0put your phone to your\u00a0ear, in order to answer a call. However, there are a lot of cool things that are made possible\u00a0with this sensor.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Control\u00a0Media Playback\u00a0by Waving Your Hand<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

If gesture control is your thing, then Wave Control will get you excited. With this app, you can\u00a0use wave gestures to control the\u00a0media playback<\/strong>\u00a0on your Android device. You can set the default media player that you use, in the app, and then you can use the wave controls built into the app, to control the playback.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n[ad type=”banner”]\n

You can\u00a0hover over the proximity sensor<\/strong>\u00a0on your phone to play\/pause the media playback; you can wave once to go forward, twice to go back, and more. The\u00a0free version of the app is ad-supported. However, the ads can be removed with an in-app purchase.<\/p>\n

Download<\/a><\/span>\u00a0Wave Control from\u00a0the Play Store (Free, in-app purchases)<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

2. Answer Calls by Raising Your Phone to Your Ear<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

It\u2019s a gesture we all do when we answer a call \u2013 raise the phone to our ears. Speakerphone Ex is an app that\u00a0automatically answers the call when you raise your phone to your ear. This simplifies the\u00a0process of answering calls (which isn\u2019t really cumbersome, anyway). The app supports features like\u00a0stopping auto answer\u00a0if you silence a call<\/strong>, and more. There are a ton of features, however, most of them are locked in the free version, and you will have to purchase the pro version of the app to unlock everything.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The basic functionality of the app is there in the free version, and you can use it without paying for it, unless you really\u00a0want the pro features.<\/p>\n

Download<\/a><\/span>\u00a0Speakerphone Ex on the Play Store (Free)<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Automatically Lock and Unlock Your Screen<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

We\u2019ve all been there, when the power buttons on our device is broken, and we have to use a variety of apps to put a virtual power button on our device, just so we can lock it. How about using an app that can\u00a0automatically lock, and\u00a0unlock your device<\/strong>\u00a0based on how it is positioned, and whether the proximity sensor is obstructed (as it will be if it\u2019s in your pocket)? Well, the app \u201cKin Screen\u201d, does exactly this. The app supports locking the screen when the proximity sensor has been covered for 10 seconds, and\u00a0unlocking the screen\u00a0by simply waving over the proximity sensor<\/strong>. The 10 seconds\u2019 time out can be adjusted if you buy the pro version of the app, which\u00a0is available as an in-app purchase.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n[ad type=”banner”]\n

The sensitivity of the app is really great, and the app\u00a0works\u00a0well enough to be depended upon.<\/p>\n

Download<\/a><\/span>\u00a0Kin Screen on the Play Store (Free, with in-app purchases)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bonus: Set Custom Actions\u00a0for Gestures on the Proximity Sensor<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

If you want to\u00a0trigger custom actions<\/strong>\u00a0when you make a gesture over the proximity\u00a0sensor, you can use an app called\u00a0Proximity Actions<\/strong>. This app will let you\u00a0trigger\u00a0customizable actions when you perform different gestures\u00a0over the proximity sensor. You can create gestures to lock\/unlock screen, launch apps, and do a lot more.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Download<\/a><\/span>\u00a0Proximity Actions on the Play Store (Free, with in-app purchases)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Camera\/Flash Apps<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

I\u2019m pretty sure that you\u2019ve\u00a0only used the camera on your Android phone for taking pictures, and videos. However, there are some great apps that put your Android phone\u2019s camera to work for you.<\/p>\n

1. Use it as a Heart Rate Sensor<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Not every phone comes equipped with a heart rate sensor, and if you want to use your phone as a heart rate monitor, you can do so with a great app called \u201cCardiograph\u201d. The app\u00a0uses your phone\u2019s camera, and flash to measure your heart\u00a0rate<\/strong>\u00a0in much the same way, as most smart watches do. Obviously,\u00a0the app isn\u2019t accurate enough to be used\u00a0for medical purposes, but for a general reading of what your heart rate currently is, you can use the app.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The app has a good-looking, minimal interface. To calculate your heart rate using Cardiograph,\u00a0all you need to do is\u00a0place your finger on your phone\u2019s camera<\/strong>. The flash illuminates your finger, and the camera acts as the sensor, to calculate your heart rate. The app also comes with a graph view, where it shows all of your heart rate readings that you have saved, so you can easily compare them.<\/p>\n

Download<\/a><\/span>\u00a0Cardiograph on the Play\u00a0Store (Free, with in-app purchases)<\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Calculate\u00a0Your Approximate Distance from Objects<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

If you\u2019re ever in a situation where you would like to know just how far you are from an object, or a person, the app called \u201cSmart Distance<\/strong>\u201d will come in handy for you. The app works by using your phone\u2019s camera, and the gyroscope. You can simply\u00a0point the camera to the object<\/strong>\u00a0you want to know\u00a0your distance from, input the object\u2019s estimated height,\u00a0adjust the bounds in the frame<\/strong>, and the app will tell you the distance between you, and the object you\u2019re aiming at.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n[ad type=”banner”]\n

The app will definitely prove useful to people who play golf, as well. You can easily find out the distance from wherever the ball is, to the flag-post, and choose your next step accordingly.<\/p>\n

Download<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>Smart Distance on the Play Store (Free)<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Use Your Old Android Phone as a Rudimentary Security Camera<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

If you have an old Android phone lying around your house, you can use it as a rudimentary security camera. The app called \u201cMotion Detector Pro<\/strong> \u201c,\u00a0will let you easily set up your Android phone to act as a security\u00a0camera. It comes with features such as\u00a0automatically\u00a0clicking pictures of the intruder<\/strong>\u00a0that triggered the motion sensor. It can even email the pictures to\u00a0an email ID, that you can\u00a0customize.<\/p>\n

\"10<\/p>\n

The interface of the app is pretty simple, and to the point. You can set up the sensor sensitivity, to change the amount of movement required for the sensor to trigger the action\u00a0of clicking a picture and sending it to you, so as to avoid accidental triggers.<\/p>\n

Download<\/a><\/span>\u00a0Motion Detector Pro on the\u00a0Play Store (Fr<\/strong>ee)<\/em><\/p>\n

Magnetometer<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The magnetometer on an Android device is\u00a0the sensor that makes the compass on your phone work. It can sense the magnetic field around the phone, and can even recognize the intensity of magnetic flux. There are some cool apps that make use\u00a0of the magnetometer.<\/p>\n

Turn Your Android Phone into a Compass<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Compasses can come in handy in a lot of situations. Especially if you\u2019re out exploring a lot, you definitely need a compass. While most \u201cMap\u201d applications do come with a compass, it\u2019s not a fully-fledged one. However, this app, called \u201cSmart Compass\u201d gives you a\u00a0full-fledged compass<\/strong>, which uses the magnetometer in your device to let you know you\u2019re heading. The compass in the app comes in a variety of modes, and one of the more useful ones, is the map mode. In this mode, you get a compass overlay over a map of your location, so you can easily figure out your bearings.<\/p>\n

\"10<\/p>\n

The app is a perfect companion for taking on hikes, and even treks. You can easily use any one of its many modes to guide you along the way.<\/p>\n

Download<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>Smart Compass (Free)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Accelerometer<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Another sensor in Android phones is the accelerometer. This sensor is responsible for detecting the acceleration of the phone in the X, Y, and Z axes. This also makes the sensor a candidate for apps that measure the acceleration, or speed of moving objects.<\/p>\n

Turn Your\u00a0Android Phone into a Speedometer\/Odometer<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

For those of you that don\u2019t know, a speedometer is the\u00a0meter on your cars, and bikes, that displays the speed at which you\u2019re travelling, and the odometer is the meter that\u00a0displays the distance that you\u2019ve traveled. The app \u2013 Accelerometer Gauge \u2013 can be used as an\u00a0alternate speedometer, and odometer<\/strong>, on something like your bike.<\/p>\n

\"10<\/p>\n[ad type=”banner”]\n

The only issue with using the app as a speedometer, is that it\u00a0shows the speeds in\u00a0meters\/second<\/strong>, and not kmph, or mph. However, it does show the distance travelled in meters, which can come in handy if you\u2019re trying to measure relatively smaller distances. Either way, the app is an interesting use of the accelerometer on\u00a0an Android device.<\/p>\n

Download<\/a><\/span>\u00a0Accelerometer Gauge on the Play Store<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gyroscope<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Gyroscopes\u00a0are used for measuring the orientation of the device, and can let you know about data such as the tilt of the device, and more. This data\u00a0has been used in some really interesting apps; one of which makes for a good use-case example.<\/p>\n

Turn Your Android Phone into a Level<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

If you\u2019ve ever worked on a DIY, or home project, you must have used a level. However, you can also use your\u00a0Android phone to do the same thing for you.\u00a0If you\u2019re a DIY enthusiast, then the app \u201cPocket Bubble Level<\/strong>\u201d is\u00a0an app that you\u2019re going to love. The apps put a\u00a0horizontal, and vertical level<\/strong>\u00a0right\u00a0inside your phone. It uses the data from the gyroscope in the phone to figure out the tilt of the phone, in both horizontal, and vertical orientations. The app does require you to calibrate it first, which can be done easily, by placing the smartphone on a straight surface, and pressing the calibrate button.<\/p>\n

\"10<\/p>\n

Once that is done, you can use\u00a0Pocket Bubble Level as a replacement level for your DIY, and home improvement projects. The app is\u00a0completely free<\/strong>, and is\u00a0definitely useful, so go ahead and give it a try.<\/p>\n

Download<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>Pocket Bubble Level on the Play Store (Free)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unlock the Power of Sensors on your Android Smartphone<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

These were just a few examples of the myriad of apps that make clever use of the sensors on your Android phone. You can have a look through the Google Play Store and you will definitely find a lot of other apps, as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

10 Unique Ways to Use the Sensors on Your Android Device – Android – Practically every gadget in the market has a proximity sensor, an accelerometer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17581,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1791,46018],"tags":[46827,46850,46820,46826,46864,46862,46835,46831,46839,46852,46858,46847,46830,46848,46833,46842,46825,46843,46840,46824,46849,46841,46857,46834,46860,46846,46837,46869,46822,46866,46870,46832,46865,46863,46836,46854,46821,46845,46817,46823,46829,46818,46867,46828,46838,46859,46868,46855,46851,46861,46856,46819,46844,46853],"class_list":["post-15577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-android","category-mobile","tag-companies-working-on-internet-of-things","tag-examples-of","tag-examples-of-iot-applications","tag-first-iot-device","tag-internet-of-all-things","tag-internet-of-everything-examples","tag-internet-of-things","tag-internet-of-things-applications","tag-internet-of-things-definition","tag-internet-of-things-devices","tag-internet-of-things-examples","tag-internet-of-things-explained","tag-internet-of-things-overview","tag-internet-of-things-sensors","tag-internet-of-things-technologies","tag-internet-of-things-uses","tag-internet-of-things-working","tag-introduction-internet-of-things","tag-iot","tag-iot-app","tag-iot-application","tag-iot-applications","tag-iot-based","tag-iot-basics","tag-iot-concept","tag-iot-devices","tag-iot-devices-examples","tag-iot-devices-list","tag-iot-environment","tag-iot-in-it","tag-iot-initiatives","tag-iot-internet-of-things","tag-iot-location-tracking","tag-iot-overview","tag-iot-sample-projects","tag-iot-samples","tag-iot-stands-for","tag-iot-technology","tag-iot-things","tag-iot-uses","tag-list-of-iot-devices","tag-sensor-iot","tag-simple-iot-applications","tag-tech-iot","tag-the-internet-of-things","tag-things-in-iot","tag-things-internet","tag-things-on-the-internet","tag-turn-old-android-phone-into-security-camera","tag-uses-of-internet-of-things","tag-uses-of-iot","tag-what-are-iot-devices","tag-what-is-internet-of-things","tag-what-is-iot"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15577\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}