Types of Sensors
There are many sensors used in the device, but out of them, only some are usable or are allowed by the browsers for any usage. Some of the commonly used sensors in web technology are:
- GPS (Global Positioning System): Most commonly and widely used sensors used for location tracking. Many websites and apps use this technology, from location tracking to gaming.
- Motion and Orientation: Many devices are embedded with accelerometers and gyroscopes for detection of motions and tilt or orientation of the device, which can be used by apps or websites to add additional inputs using motion, change the UI, or add inputs depending on the tilt or orientation of the device.
- Light: Light sensors are basically used to change the screen brightness and can also be used to measure light. The websites can use this data to change the color contrast of the colors used on the site for better viewing.
- Biometric: Any sensors that are used to identify an individual are biometric sensors, such as fingerprint, face, eye, etc. The websites can use it for additional security measures.
- Touch: Touch sensors basically allow the user to use the device by just using their fingers. For multiple functionality, the behavior and the number of touches are computed, such as hold, two-finger zoom, and two-finger slide down. The websites can be designed to add additional inputs with the means of touch, as it is a better and faster method to provide input by the users.
Sensors Tool in Microsoft Edge Browser
To debug or test your sites with respect to various sensors on the device, you can use the Sensors tool provided in the Edge browser. The sensors tool is used to override various sensors of the device, such as geolocation, orientation, touch, and idle state. You can design a website to change the UI or behaviour with respect to the sensing data returned by a sensor on a device.