How Does a Gyroscope Maintain Balance?

A gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disc mounted in gimbals that allow it to rotate freely in any direction. Once the rotor reaches high speed, conservation of angular momentum makes it resist any external torque that tries to tilt its axis. If a force is applied, the gyroscope precesses — its axis slowly rotates perpendicular to the applied force rather than tipping over. This principle is used in navigation (inertial guidance systems in aircraft, ships, and spacecraft), stabilisation (camera gimbals, Segways), and attitude control. MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) gyroscopes in smartphones detect rotation to enable screen orientation and gaming motion controls.