Foucault-like gyroscope showing effect of Earth rotation
Channel: Scott McPeak Gaming
Date: 2017-01-02

Update: I have another video that better demonstrates the way Earth rotation causes a spin axis to precess:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z291HWPNtc

I understand that the movement shown here is not very convincing.  It was just the first design that was sensitive enough to show *some* movement.  I recommend looking at the linked gyrocompass video instead.

Original description:

I've been trying to build a proper Foucault Gyroscope, and so far have not succeeded, but this video shows a related demonstration of the Earth's rotation having a visible effect on a spinning gyroscope.

It is very similar in principle to a gyrocompass (which I have also built), except with the gyro constrained to rotate in the vertical plane rather than horizontal.  The modified device might be called a "gyrosextant" except mine is a failed version of that concept due to a non-zero restoring force (positive stability).

In any case, it demonstrates that the Earth is rotating: a rotating Earth explains the observation, and if we instead assume the Earth is stationary, no mechanism to explain the observation is apparent.  Moreover, it should be reasonably easy for others to reproduce should they wish to explore alternative hypotheses.