What Is G Sensor On A Dash Cam?

If you have been searching for a high-quality dash cam, it is highly likely that you have come across the term: G sensor. It is an imperative feature and a dash cam without an in-built sensor is almost useless. The majority of people who even have a G sensor might be wondering “what is G sensor on a dash cam?”

If you have been wondering what a g-sensor is, then read on to find out. This article will explain what it is and provide related insightful details to give you a better grip on this impressive dash cam feature.

What is a G-Sensor?

Otherwise known as the gravity sensor, a G sensor is usually denoted as an accelerometer. It is a sensor that can observe the alteration of accelerating force. Even though an accelerometer is widely used in diverse fields, the most common usage is seen in tablets and smartphones. A G sensor is incorporated in tablets and smartphones to ensure that the pictures are exhibited upright. 

Other applications of g sensors are emerging including sensing vibrations in automobiles and buildings. A G sensor in dash camera monitors the proper acceleration, as known as the G-force. This feature might perceive and react to swift changes of movement, like those produced in an accident.

In other words, this sensor allows the camera to sense motion and instantaneously start recording. It will activate if a person moves the car when parked (for example, rocking the vehicle), hard braking or impact from crashing. The dash cam automatically switches to “event mode” as soon as it detects the change in direction. As a result, the footage is saved in a protected section of the memory. This video is prevented from being overwritten by the standard loop recording feature.

Typically, a dash cam will start recording the footage from 10 seconds before an incident through to a minute after. You can easily retrieve the footage of the impact later. In the latest dashcams, you can adjust the time frame and the sensitivity of the G sensor.

There are other elements that can trigger the G-Sensor such as heavy acceleration and braking, potholes on the road, or speed bumps. A gravity sensor on a dash cam can be valuable in shielding other important footage, however, the G-Sensor setting can be altered depending on the vehicle or driving environment.

How does it work?

When an accident occurs, the car will accelerate or slow suddenly. Consequently, a G sensor on a dash cam outputs this large value and allows the CPU to read it. If the value is over the adjusted amount, a G-sensor will consider it as a crash. The built-in G sensor locks the footage when an impact is detected so that the user can download and review it later.

The G-sensor has three sensitivity options: high, medium, and low which can be set according to the driving conditions. These settings are imperative to avoid freezing too many files. For example, if you go off-roading, you are likely to experience a lot of bumps. For this reason, you will need to set it to “low.”

So how does a G sensor work on a dash cam?

If the dash cam experiences an emergency brake or a shake during the standard loop recording process, it will trigger the protective recording feature. You will notice a lock icon on the dash cam screen. In case you opt for high sensitivity, the footage will be protected and will not be overwritten. It is crucial to remember that high sensitivity will record even minor bumps, which will fill up your dash cam’s memory (pretty quickly). Likewise, for low sensitivity, the footage will only be recorded for serious accidents.

The incident footage can be reviewed on the digital screen through the video playback option, or the files can be downloaded from the SD card into a desktop or a laptop.

What kinds of Moments are detected with a G Sensor?

Now that you have a clear picture of what is G sensor on a dash cam, let’s look into what it captures. Typically, people purchase a dash cam to record impact and motion detection. However, these features are exclusively present in expensive dash cam models. This latest equipment with G sensor will:

• Record a video file during impact detection, which is activated by an internal built-in sensor
• The G sensor is beneficial during a vehicle collision
• Motion detection around the vehicle will also be detected by G sensor and is triggered by movement around the car
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