John Serson Explained
John Serson (died 1744) was an English sea captain best known for his invention of a "whirling speculum".[1] This was an early form of artificial horizon designed for marine navigation, consisting of a mirror, attached to a spinning top, that attempted to remain in a horizontal plane despite the movement of the ship. This device can be seen as a precursor to the gyroscope used in modern inertial navigation, although it was not itself a gyroscope.[2]
Serson was lost at sea on in 1744.[3]
See also
Notes and References
- Bedini SA, "History Corner: The Artificial Horizon", Professional Surveyor Magazine December 1999 Volume 19 Number 10 Web site: Professional Surveyor Magazine . 2007-06-02 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070713225257/http://www.profsurv.com/archive.php?issue=37&article=531 . 2007-07-13 .
- Turner G, "History of Gyroscopes", gyroscopes.org http://www.gyroscopes.org/history.asp - account of first test of Serson's speculum
- Wagner JF, "From Bohnenberger's Machine to Integrated Navigation Systems, 200 Years of Inertial Navigation", Photogrammetric Week 05, Wichmann Verlag, Heidelberg 2005 http://www.ifp.uni-stuttgart.de/publications/phowo05/160wagner.pdf
