The word astrolabe means "the one that catches the heavenly bodies."

An early astrolabe was invented in the Hellenistic civilization by Apollonius of Perga between 220 and 150 BC, often attributed to Hipparchus. The astrolabe was a marriage of the planisphere and dioptra, effectively an analog calculator capable of working out several different kinds of problems in spherical astronomy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrolabe

An inclinometer is an instrument for measuring angles of slope (or tilt), elevation or depression of an object with respect to gravity. Astrolabes are inclinometers that were used for navigation and locating astronomical objects from ancient times to the Renaissance.

"Sitometer 85" by Kern, Switzerland. Introduced as mortar level compass in the Swiss Armed Forces in 1985.

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Inclinometers are used for:

Determining latitude using Polaris (in the Northern Hemisphere) or the two stars of the constellation Crux (in the Southern Hemisphere).
Determining the angle of the Earth's magnetic field with respect to the horizontal plane.
Showing a deviation from the true vertical or horizontal.
Surveying, to measure an angle of inclination or elevation.
Alerting an equipment operator that it may tip over.
Measuring angles of elevation, slope, or incline, e.g. of an embankment.
Measuring slight differences in slopes, particularly for geophysics. Such inclinometers are, for instance, used for monitoring volcanoes, or for measuring the depth and rate of landslide movement.
Measuring movements in walls or the ground in civil engineering projects.
Determining the dip of beds or strata, or the slope of an embankment or cutting; a kind of plumb level.
Some automotive safety systems.
Indicating pitch and roll of vehicles, nautical craft, and aircraft. See turn coordinator and slip indicator.
Monitoring the boom angle of cranes and material handlers.
Measuring the "look angle" of a satellite antenna towards a satellite.
Adjusting a solar panel to the optimal angle to maximize its output.
Measuring the slope angle of a tape or chain during distance measurement.
Measuring the height of a building, tree, or other feature using a vertical angle and a distance (determined by taping or pacing), using trigonometry.
Measuring the angle of drilling in well logging.
Measuring the list of a ship in still water and the roll in rough water.
Measuring steepness of a ski slope.
Measuring the orientation of planes and lineations in rocks, in combination with a compass, in structural geology.
Measuring range of motion in the joints of the body[3]
Measuring the inclination angle of the pelvis. Numerous neck and back measurements require the simultaneous use of two inclinometers.[4]
Measuring the angles of elevation to, and ultimately computing the altitudes of, many things otherwise inaccessible for direct measurement.
Measuring and fine tuning the angle of line array speaker hangs. Confirmation of the angle achieved via use of a laser built into the remote inclinometer.
Setting correct orientation of solar panels while installing
Setting firing angle of a cannon or gun (determines projectile range)
Electronic games
Help prevent unsafe working conditions.[5]
The USDA Forest Service uses tilt sensors (or inclinometers) to measure tree height in its Forest Inventory and Analysis program.
Tilt indicators are disposable-grade, albeit reusable sensors attached to goods as part of packaging during shipping.[6]

Games
Nintendo used tilt sensor technology in five games for its Game Boy series of hand-held game systems. The tilt sensor allows players to control aspects of the game by twisting the game system.