Bosch BMI160
The BMI160 is a small, low-noise, 16-bit 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) by Bosch Sensortec combining a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope in a single module. The sensor was designed for mobile applications — augmented reality (AR), indoor navigation, and pedestrian dead-reckoning (PDR). Its low current consumption enables always-on modes in battery-driven devices.
The BMI160 features a configurable on-chip interrupt engine enabling motion-based gesture recognition and context awareness as always-on background functions. The sensor is currently marked by Bosch Sensortec as "Not available for new designs" — it is not recommended for new projects; its role is taken over by newer models from the BMI260/BMI270/BMI323/BMI330 family. Despite its legacy status, the BMI160 remains widely used in many existing Arduino, ESP32, and hobbyist robotics projects.
Classification
IMU · serves as: Sensing, Localization, Balance and Posture Control. · compatible with: Mobile Robot, Educational Robot, Research Robot.
Which group Bosch BMI160 belongs to and how it is built
An IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) is an integrated sensing module used to determine the motion and orientation of an object in space. A typical IMU combines an accelerometer and a gyroscope, and sometimes a magnetometer as well. In robotics, IMUs are used for motion stabilization, orientation estimation, balance control, navigation, and analysis of robot or component dynamics.
Technical specification
Relations
Evolution of Bosch BMI160 — previous and next versions
