How Does it Work?

Exploded View of the Compass Internals

See The Compass in Action

The Space Age Meets the Age of Sail

Inside each compass is an array of sensors and electronics. A GPS, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and a light sensor all work in conjunction to calculate your current location and orientation, and then to move the motor that works the red and black hand to get the red hand pointing towards your destination and the black hand indicating how far you are from it.

Read an interview with the Inventor

How The Matrix (1999) Saved My Compass