How to calculate "Pitch" and "Roll" using SensorManager.getOrientation()

Question

I'm currently trying to replace my 'Sensor.TYPE_ORIENTATION' because it was deprecated. So Android Documentation lacks most of the Information, on how to do it. While debugging and diggin here on SO I figured out how to calculate the azimuth which was once provided by the OrientationSensor. I do it in this way:

float accelerometerVals[] = new float[3];
float magneticVals[] = new float[3];

float orientationSensorVals[] = new float[3]; 

float rotationMatrix[] = new float[16];
float orientation[] = new float[3];

    @Override
    public void onSensorChanged(SensorEvent event) {
        switch (event.sensor.getType()) {
        case Sensor.TYPE_ACCELEROMETER:
             System.arraycopy(event.values, 0, accelerometerVals, 0, 3);
             break;
        case Sensor.TYPE_MAGNETIC_FIELD:
              System.arraycopy(event.values, 0, magneticVals, 0, 3);
              break;
        case Sensor.TYPE_ORIENTATION:
              System.arraycopy(event.values, 0, orientationSensorVals, 0, 3);
              break;
        default:
              break;
        }

        if (null != magneticVals && null != accelerometerVals){
            SensorManager.getRotationMatrix(rotationMatrix, null, accelerometerVals, magneticVals)
            SensorManager.getOrientation(rotationMatrix, orientation);
            float azimuth = Math.toDegrees(orientation[0])
            //this calculation gives me the Azimuth in the same format that OrientationSensor
            azimuth += (azimuth >= 0) ? 0 : 360
            float FALSE_PITCH = Math.toDegrees(orientation[1])
            float FALSE_ROLL = Math.toDegrees(orientation[2])
        }

Note the variables FALSE_PITCH && FALSE_ROLL. I don't have no idea how to "normalize" (values differ from +10 to -10) this values, to get the same output than I had before inside my OrientationSensor

score 6 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 18 '12 at 08:08

I've been through the same problem but I'm surprised your roll is not right, as it is for me. Here's what I used :

//Let values[] be your orientation[] variable once in degrees.

// Azimuth scaling
if (values[0]<0) values[0] += 360;

// Pitch scaling
if (values[1]<-90) values[1] += (-2*(90+values[1]));
else if (values[1]>90) values[1] += (2*(90-values[1]));

// Roll scaling
// NOT NEEDED

Would you be able to post some outputs of both Orientation sensor and your degrees orientation[] variable ?

Could you please explain why it is not necessary to normalise the roll? — Matthias, Mar 17 '13 at 15:51

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 18 '12 at 14:25

Maybe it will help you!!

SensorManager mSensorManager = (SensorManager)getSystemService(SENSOR_SERVICE);
boolean orientok = mSensorManager.registerListener(this, mSensorManager.getDefaultSensor(Sensor.TYPE_ORIENTATION), SensorManager.SENSOR_DELAY_UI);

//test if orientation sensor exist on the device
if (!orientok){
        mSensorManager.unregisterListener(this, mSensorManager.getDefaultSensor(Sensor.TYPE_ORIENTATION));
        ((TextView)findViewById(R.id.orient)).setText("no orientation sensor");
    }

public void onSensorChanged(SensorEvent event) {
    switch(event.sensor.getType()){
    case Sensor.TYPE_ORIENTATION:
        onOrientChanged(event);
        break;
                    ...// add other sensor type if you want and create for each one his function like the example below
}

 public void onOrientChanged(SensorEvent event) {
    float azimuth,pitch,roll;
    azimuth = event.values[0];
    pitch = event.values[1];
    roll = event.values[2];
    ((TextView)findViewById(R.id.azimuth)).setText("Axe x "+azimuth);
    ((TextView)findViewById(R.id.pitch)).setText("Axe y "+pitch);
    ((TextView)findViewById(R.id.roll)).setText("Axe z "+roll);
}

TYPE_ORIENTATION is deprecated – Puzirki Oct 29 '14 at 09:24 — Puzirki, Oct 29 '14 at 09:24

How to calculate "Pitch" and "Roll" using SensorManager.getOrientation()

2 Answers2