Sensor Recording Lite

You need a black box for your car or sailing boat, want to trace your geocaching or other outdoor activities, wish to monitor your sleeping behaviour or are just curious about what your smartphone is able to measure? Here is the tool you have been waiting for.

Every smartphone contains many sensors. Not only GPS, but also accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetic field, light, temperature, and many others. If you want to know which sensors are installed in your particular device, this app will tell you, together with all the related information about type, manufacturer, resolution, etc.

Furthermore, it can read out all the measurement values, display them in table form or graphics and store them as an ASCII file (csv = comma-separated values) for possible further evaluation, e.g. in a spread sheet like MS Excel. That is the main focus of this app, as its name indicates. Moreover, position data are recorded in a kml file for direct display with a program such as Google Earth. All related files are located in the sub-directory "SensorRecording".

There are two variations of the app:

- Pro version (with costs): full functionality

- Lite version (free of charge): data recording is limited to 1 minute.

The display responds to the "auto-rotate" setting (portrait or landscape).The text in menus and on buttons follows the language configuration of the smartphone: English (default), German, French and Spanish. Most views may be scrolled vertically and horizontally.

Sensor Recording Lite is a mobile application designed to harness the power of a smartphone's built-in sensors, providing users with a simplified platform for data collection and analysis. Its core functionality revolves around recording data streams from various sensors, including the accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS, and barometer, depending on the device's capabilities. The app caters to a diverse audience, ranging from students exploring scientific principles to hobbyists tracking environmental changes or even professionals needing quick access to sensor data.

The user interface of Sensor Recording Lite prioritizes ease of use and intuitive navigation. Upon launching the app, users are presented with a clean, uncluttered screen displaying a list of available sensors. Selecting a sensor initiates the recording process, capturing data points at user-defined intervals. The app allows users to customize the sampling rate, enabling them to balance data granularity with storage space and battery consumption. Higher sampling rates capture more frequent data points, providing a more detailed picture of the sensor's readings, while lower rates conserve resources.

During the recording process, Sensor Recording Lite displays real-time sensor values, providing immediate feedback on the data being collected. This feature allows users to monitor the sensor's behavior and ensure the accuracy of the recordings. The app also includes a timestamp for each data point, allowing users to correlate the sensor readings with specific moments in time. This timestamping feature is crucial for analyzing time-dependent phenomena and understanding the temporal context of the data.

Once a recording session is complete, Sensor Recording Lite offers various options for managing and analyzing the collected data. Users can save the recordings in a variety of formats, including CSV (Comma Separated Values) and TXT (Text) files, facilitating compatibility with other software tools for further analysis and visualization. The app also allows users to view the recorded data within the app itself, providing basic visualization tools such as line graphs to display the sensor readings over time.

The simplicity of Sensor Recording Lite is one of its key strengths. The app avoids complex configurations and technical jargon, making it accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise. The intuitive interface allows users to quickly grasp the app's functionality and begin collecting sensor data with minimal effort. This ease of use makes Sensor Recording Lite a valuable tool for educational purposes, allowing students to conduct simple experiments and explore scientific concepts related to motion, light, and other physical phenomena.

Beyond educational applications, Sensor Recording Lite also finds utility in various practical scenarios. Hobbyists can use the app to track environmental changes, such as fluctuations in barometric pressure or ambient light levels. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts can utilize the accelerometer and gyroscope data to analyze their movements and improve their performance. Developers can leverage the app for prototyping and testing sensor-based applications.

The "Lite" designation in the app's name suggests a streamlined version of a more comprehensive sensor recording tool. While Sensor Recording Lite offers a solid foundation for basic data collection and analysis, it may lack some advanced features found in more sophisticated sensor applications. These features might include real-time data filtering, advanced visualization options, or integration with cloud storage services. However, for users seeking a simple and accessible tool for capturing and analyzing sensor data, Sensor Recording Lite provides a valuable and user-friendly platform.

Despite its simplicity, Sensor Recording Lite offers a surprisingly versatile toolkit for exploring the world of sensor data. Its intuitive interface, customizable recording settings, and various data export options make it a valuable resource for students, hobbyists, and professionals alike. Whether used for educational purposes, personal projects, or professional applications, Sensor Recording Lite empowers users to harness the power of their smartphone's sensors and unlock a wealth of information about the world around them.