Design & Fabrication of Digital Angle Gauge using Arduino Nano

Abstract

Accurate angular measurement is a critical requirement in various engineering and scientific domains, including robotics, structural analysis, and biomedical instrumentation. Traditional mechanical angle measurement tools, though reliable, suffer from limitations such as wear, backlash, parallax error, and a lack of real-time data integration. This paper proposes the design and development of a compact, digital angular gauge leveraging the Arduino Nano microcontroller and MPU6050 accelerometer module. The system translates tilt orientation into realtime digital readings with high sensitivity and low latency, displayed via a 0.96\" OLED screen. The proposed design ensures miniaturization, cost-effectiveness, and robust performance, making it suitable for portable or embedded applications. The developed system was tested under static and dynamic conditions to validate linearity, repeatability, and accuracy, and results showed a mean error of less than 0.5° compared to reference instruments. This paper details the theoretical background, system architecture, calibration strategies, and validation procedures, establishing a new paradigm for affordable digital angle measurement.

Introduction

This study presents the design and fabrication of a low-cost, portable digital angular measurement tool using an Arduino Nano and MPU6050 sensor. Traditional mechanical angle measurement tools are limited by analog constraints and poor data interfacing, while existing digital inclinometers are often costly or bulky. The proposed device aims to provide accurate tilt measurements (≤1° error) with real-time digital output and easy integration into embedded systems.

The system uses the MPU6050’s accelerometer data processed via an Arduino Nano to calculate angles between -90° and +90° on a single axis. Data is filtered and displayed on an LCD, with calibration performed against standard reference angles. Testing demonstrated a mean absolute error of 0.27°, repeatability of ±0.2°, and responsive real-time readings under 100 ms.

Compared to commercial inclinometers, this solution offers similar accuracy at a fraction of the cost (<?1000 vs. >?5000), while being customizable and portable. Limitations include gyro drift in dynamic conditions and the need for temperature compensation. Future improvements could add wireless logging, dual-axis measurement, and sensor fusion for 3D orientation.

Conclusion

This research successfully demonstrates the feasibility of a compact, cost-effective digital angular gauge using Arduino Nano and MPU6050. The system proves to be accurate, reliable, and replicable, establishing a benchmark for low-cost precision instrumentation

References

[1] Titterton, D. H., & Weston, J. L. (2004). Strapdown Inertial Navigation Technology. IET. [2] Ozyagcilar, T. (2012). Implementing a Tilt-Compensated eCompass using Accelerometer and Magnetometer Sensors. Freescale Semiconductor. [3] Arduino (n.d.). Arduino Nano Technical Specifications. Retrieved from https://www.arduino.cc/ [4] Bosch Sensortec. (2020). BNO055 Datasheet. Retrieved from https://www.bosch-sensortec.com/ [5] STMicroelectronics. (2019). LSM6DSOX Datasheet. Retrieved from https://www.st.com/

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Prof. Suneet Mehta, Sumit Shelar, Vedang Shinde, Pratik Teli . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.