The history of navigation tools dates back over 4,000 years to ancient China. During the Yellow Emperor's era, the "guide car" was invented, considered one of the earliest directional devices. In the Warring States period, people used a device called "Sinan," which was an early form of a compass. Around the first century BC, Chinese alchemists created a spoon-shaped tool made from magnetite and placed it on a smooth copper disk, allowing it to point toward the North Pole. By 1090 AD, Chinese sailors began using a floating compass on cloudy days, with a needle that floated on water. It wasn't until the 11th century that Europe learned about the compass. In 1190, Italian navigators started using a bowl of water to float a magnetized iron needle, using its direction as a reference for their journey. By around 1250, this method evolved into the nautical compass, featuring a scale in a glass casing and a needle on a pivot. It could be used both during the day and at night when placed in a special housing.
In the early 14th century, an Italian named Joa introduced a dial connected to a paper-based magnetic needle, marking a significant advancement in compass technology. This innovation allowed ships to navigate more efficiently without manual adjustments. By the 16th century, Italian inventor Calden developed a balance ring that stabilized the compass on a moving ship, improving its accuracy.
The gyrocompass, also known as the gyroscopic compass, is a modern navigation tool that provides true north rather than magnetic north. It was based on the idea proposed by French scientist Foucault in 1852, who suggested using a gyroscope as a directional instrument. The concept was further developed by German engineer Anschütz in 1908 and British engineer Brown in 1916, leading to the creation of the Ama-Brown gyrocompass. One of its main advantages is that it is not affected by nearby metal objects and points to true north instead of magnetic north. In 1911, American inventor Sperry successfully tested his gyrocompass on the ship "Dravui," and it was soon adopted by the U.S. Navy.
Today’s gyrocompasses are composed of two main parts: the main compass and auxiliary instruments. They are compact, lightweight, durable, easy to maintain, and suitable for vessels of all sizes. Their sensitive components are often enclosed in a sealed sphere and supported by a special liquid to enhance precision and reliability. Whether under harsh environmental conditions or in terms of accuracy, modern gyrocompasses far surpass traditional compasses from earlier centuries.
Surface Treatment,Black Anodised,Nickel Plating Process,Black Oxide Services
Dongguan Changsheng Technology Co., Ltd , https://www.dgcsmachining.com