Accelerometers constitute a technology that has now existed for several decades, and one that has traditionally been driven by advances in the automotive industry. The incorporation of airbags in vehicles, for example, was a principal market driver. This began in 1991, with Analog Devices’ MEMS ADXL50, which was the first commercially available accelerometer for widespread use in the automotive industry. In this case, accelerometers were being used to detect rapid vehicle deceleration and deploy an airbag whenever necessary. Another common use for accelerometers was in electronic stability control systems in vehicles, which utilized a lateral accelerometer to measure equilibrium in cornering and help adjust weight accordingly. Automobiles remain the largest market for accelerometers, with $1.1 billion in revenue for 2008.
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