Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) array for deflection measurement of a carbon fishing rod

Abstract

Rod fishing equipment has not changed with the smart device movement. Measurement of a fishing rods deflection could be used to provide a user with never before had real-time data of torque exerted by a fish on both rod and user, or, how well a rod is loaded when casting a line.This thesis explores how IMU sensors could be used for this purpose.An array of IMU sensors is read using a microcontroller. By fusion of gyroscope and accelerometer data through a Complementary filter, the orientation of each sensor is obtained, along with deflection angles between them.This method is tested by comparing measurement data to visual measurements from video, which suggests the method could be used to measure deflection of a fishing rod, about a single axis, with a minimum accuracy of ±7°, using a sample rate of 38.5 Hz.