A gyro compass is a type of gyroscope that is commonly used aboard ships.

It uses
frictional forces, an electrically powered, quickly spinning gyroscope wheel, and
other factors to determine where true north is. It also relies on gravity and the
Earth's rotation.

gyrocompass, navigational instrument which makes use of a continuously driven

gyroscope to accurately seek the direction of true (geographic) north. It operates
by seeking an equilibrium direction under the combined effects of the force of
gravity and the daily rotation of Earth.

Gyro compasses are linked to the repeater compasses via one transmission
system. The fast-spinning rotor attached weighs from 1.25 pounds to 55 pounds.
It is driven thousands of revolutions per minute by another electric motor.

A gyrocompass is a type of non-magnetic compass which is based on a fast-

spinning disc and the rotation of the Earth (or another planetary body if used
elsewhere in the universe) to find geographical direction automatically. The use of
a gyrocompass is one of the seven fundamental ways to determine the heading of
a vehicle. A gyroscope is an essential component of a gyrocompass, but they are
different devices; a gyrocompass is built to use the effect of gyroscopic
precession, which is a distinctive aspect of the general gyroscopic effect.
Gyrocompasses have two key advantages over magnetic compasses that make
them a popular choice for ship navigation:
A compass is a device that depicts the cardinal directions used for navigation and
geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other
element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself
with magnetic north.

Magnetic compasses consist of a magnetized needle that is allowed to rotate so it

lines up with Earth's magnetic field. The ends point to what are known as
magnetic north and magnetic south.

The magnetic compass is a device containing a magnetic needle pivoted in a

horizontal plane that indicates North when held on the earth's surface. Use:
Magnetic compass is used to find directions. It is used by sailors to find the right
direction during navigation.
the gyro compass functions entirely from mechanical forces, as compared with
the magnetic compass which functions entirely from magnetic forces.
Two main types of the compass are magnetic compass and gyrocompass. First
one has a magnetic element (needle or a card) that aligns itself with magnetic
lines of Earth's magnetic field to point to the magnetic poles of the Earth.

Compasses often show angles in degrees: north corresponds to 0°, and the angles
increase clockwise, so east is 90°, south is 180°, and west is 270°. These numbers
allow the compass to show azimuths or bearings which are commonly stated in
degrees. If local variation between magnetic north and true north is known, then
direction of magnetic north also gives direction of true north.

The magnetic compass, one of the Four Great Inventions, was first created as a
tool for divination during the Chinese Han Dynasty (since approximately 206
BC),[1][2] and was later used for navigation by the Chinese during the Song
Dynasty in the 11th century.[3][4][5] The first compass use that is known to have
taken place in Western Europe and the Islamic world was around 1190.[6][7]