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Electro Gyrocator

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                         Electro Gyro-Cator
Electro Gyrocator.jpg
Map Based Navigation System
Manufacturer Honda
    Type     Gas Gyroscope Navigation
  Lifespan   August 24th, 1981 - 1982
   Media     Map: 0.1 t lumirror film permeable offset printed sheet
             / Sheet size: A5 /Basic scale: 1/250,000
 Operating   16 bit computer microprocessor (8 bit external bus) ROM
   system    10 KB, SRAM 1 KB, DRAM 16 KB
             Effective display screen size: 80 mm x 100 mm / Route
  Display    display length: 80 mm max. / Effective scale range: 1/
             7,000 to 1/400,000
             Driving distance sensor: 8-pole magnet rotation, Hall IC
   Power     pickup / Direction sensor: gas-rate gyrosensor (helium
             gas) / Detection range: -70 deg/sec to +70 deg/sec

[220px-Gas_gyroscope]
 
Internal workings of the Gas Gyroscope

The Electro Gyro-Cator was claimed to be the world's first automated
commercially available automotive navigation system.^[1]^[2] It was
co-developed by Honda, Alpine,^[3]^[4] and Stanley Electric Co..

Unlike most navigation systems of today, it did not use GPS
satellites to maintain its position and discern movement of the
vehicle. Rather, it was an inertial navigation system, because it
contained a helium gas gyroscope that could detect both rotation and
movement. A special servo gear was also attached to the transmission
housing to feed information to the Gyro-Cator to help maintain
position, map speed and distance traveled.^[5]

Transparent maps were placed inside the unit and it would scroll them
past a 6 inch monochrome CRT illuminated screen as the car traveled
along. The monitor would indicate by a series of circles (or cross
hairs) on the screen to show the vehicle's current location or
display lines for path of travel. A marking pen was also included to
help make personal indicators on the map if needed. Adjustments could
be made to change the display scale, position, rotation, brightness,
and contrast. In its only year of production in 1981, it was
announced as an option on that year's Honda Accord and Honda Vigor,
but at Y=300,000 ($2,746 USD) , it was almost a quarter of the value
of the car. It is not clear how many units were actually sold to
customers as a "dealer option". A patent for gyroscope design was
introduced to the US in design patent D274332.^[6]

Documented weight for the unit was roughly 20 lb (9 kg). A display
unit, with a cutaway of the Gyroscope, is currently shown at the
Honda Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi, Japan.

References[edit]

 1. ^ Honda Worldwide | History
 2. ^ "20 Years of Car Navigation" (in Japanese) Archived August 19,
    2008, at the Wayback Machine
 3. ^ Honda Worldwide | History
 4. ^ Alpine Electronics, Inc. alpine.com | Corporate Info >
    Beginnings of Alpine
 5. ^ Honda's 1981 Electro Gyrocator: vintage navigation at its
    finest - Engadget
 6. ^ - "CTR Terminal for vehicle navigation" Patent D274332 at
    Google Patents

External links[edit]

  * Honda History - Electro Gyrocator
  * Alpine Museum - Beginnings of Alpine

*
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=
Electro_Gyrocator&oldid=1136691043"
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  * This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 17:14 (UTC).
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