Dash cams descriptions will often mention G-Sensor as an important feature. It’s also called an accelerometer, G-Shock Sensor, or gravity sensor. All of these terms are referring to the same technology.
The G-Sensor measures extreme or sudden movement through 3 axis; up/down, left/right and forward/backward.
Let’s dive deeper into how it works and how it could be used in your daily life.
How Does a G-Sensor Work?
As mentioned before, a small sensor is used to detect acceleration or deceleration in a variety of directions. The “G” in G-Sensor is the unit of measurement for the amount of acceleration that is caused by gravity.
You might have heard of the term, G-Force. Its baseline is earth’s gravity, 1G. This is very relevant as any sudden change to velocity will affect the amount of G-Force.
Mechanically, there are very tiny capacitators in the accelerometer that will shift ever so slightly when movement is detected. This will change the capacitance voltage and can then be translated into G-Force.
What is G-Sensor in a dash cam?
G-Sensors exist in smartphones and tablets, but can also exist in larger applications like measuring vibrations on cars or buildings.
Dash cams with a G-Sensor feature means that the device will be able to record sudden changes in movement, like an accident, and act accordingly.
Getting into an accident is a common reason why dash cams have this feature. Once an accident is detected, it will record and save footage from that impact. Usually it will save it into a folder that won’t be overwritten by loop recording.
Not only will this work with accidents, other movements such as driving over a bump or even your car door slamming could trigger enough vibration to begin recording. If you feel like it is too sensitive, read on to be able to calibrate it.
Is G-Sensor the same as a Gyroscope?
No, a gyroscope is not the same as a G-Sensor but are somewhat related. A gyroscope measures the tilt while a G-Sensor measures changes in velocity. They can be used in conjunction with each other to get more precise readings but have distinct differences.
How to Calibrate a G-Sensor?
You might notice that when you have a dash cam with a G-Sensor, it might pick up false negatives. Going over a pot hole, or slamming the door could register as an “event”. If these become too annoying, you can re-calibrate it.
Go to your dash cam’s settings. There should be a setting for it. There will usually be 4 settings, Low, Medium, High or Off. The default is medium, but if you feel that it is too sensitive, turn it to low.
In cases where you will be going through rough terrain knowingly, you can set the sensor to Off. In certain cases, you might feel that sensor doesn’t pick up anything. You can always test it out by shaking the dash camera mount to simulate an accident or adjust the G-Sensor sensitivity higher if needed.
Common Triggers
- Accident
- Car door slamming
- Pot Holes
- Rough Terrain
- Sharp Turns
- Sharp Braking
- Earthquake
Is a G-Sensor important for a dash cam?
It is vital for a dash cam. The main purpose of a dash cam is to record accidents so you can review footage later for insurance or law enforcement purposes. While the dash cam should always be recording, it ensures that the files are locked and saved and set apart from all the other footage.
It not only gives you peace of mind, it makes it easier to get to the important footage as you won’t have to go through all the other driving footage.
In my experience, I would say 99% of dash cams on the market right now come with built-in g sensor. The cost for putting a built-in g sensor has decreased over the years and have become the standard.
Benefits
- Detects accidents
- Saves Footage
- Prevents Footage from being overwritten
- Easy playback