John Serson

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John Serson (died 1744) was an English sea captain best known for his invention of a 'whirling speculum'. [1] This was an early form of artificial horizon designed for marine navigation, consisting of a mirror, attached to a spinning top, that attempted to remain in a horizontal plane despite the movement of the ship. This device can be seen as a precursor to the gyroscope used in modern inertial navigation, although it was not itself a gyroscope. [2]

Serson was lost at sea on the HMS Victory in 1744. [3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bedini SA, "History Corner: The Artificial Horizon", Professional Surveyor Magazine December 1999 Volume 19 Number 10 [1]
  2. ^ Turner G, "History of Gyroscopes", gyroscopes.org [2] - account of first test of Serson's speculum
  3. ^ Wagner JF, "From Bohnenberger's Machine to Integrated Navigation Systems, 200 Years of Inertial Navigation", Photogrammetric Week 05, Wichmann Verlag, Heidelberg 2005 [3]