Force Balance Accelerometer Transducer

• Force balance accelerometer transducers are used in seismology to record earthquakes' strong-motion and to measure the tilt of an object during inertial navigation. Although force balance accelerometers remain useful at low frequencies, even down to zero frequency, they become ineffective at higher frequencies where they begin to behave as an inertial displacement sensor.
  
  

Potentiometric Transducer

• Potentiometric transducers use a free-swinging pendulum and an arc-shaped resistance coil fixed so the center of the arc is placed on the pivot of the pendulum. This allows the upper end of the pendulum to pivot freely, which also causes any changes in the inclination of the coil, and therefore the probe, to vary the electrical resistance of the coil. Variations in electrical resistance can then be measured accurately to infer inclination.
  
  

Pendulum Inclinometer

• Basic pendulum inclinometers are used to measure the heel, or tilt, of a sailboat at sea. Knowing the heel of a sailboat is crucial in order to set an optimal sail trim. The instrument uses a low-friction pendulum, which serves as a gravitational reference point, and can measure changes in the angle of heel as small as 1 degree in a range of plus 30 and minus 30 degrees. Although this type of inclinometer is not accurate enough for use in scientific research, they are used widely by sailors when experimenting with different sail trims.
  
  

Inclinometers With a Bonded Resistance Strain Gage Transducer

• Bonded resistance strain gage transducer inclinometers work on a similar principle as potentiometric transducers. However, in this case, the resistance coils or gages are mounted around the pendulum. This means the pendulum is no longer free to pivot at the upper end and has no effect on the resistance of the coils. So, instead of measuring changes in the resistance of the coils, this instrument measures changes in the strain exerted on the gages to infer inclination levels.