Name John Serson | Died 1744 | |
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John Serson (died 1744) was an English sea captain best known for his invention of a 'whirling speculum'. This was an early form of artificial horizon designed for marine navigation, consisting of a mirror, attached to a spinning top, that attempted to remain in a horizontal plane despite the movement of the ship. This device can be seen as a precursor to the gyroscope used in modern inertial navigation, although it was not itself a gyroscope.
Serson was lost at sea on the HMS Victory in 1744.
References
John Serson Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA