Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are preferable over other electromechanical user interfaces for robotics applications that require hands-free operation. In case of a surgical endoscopic robot, one of the requirements is a user interface that gives the surgeon ability to control the camera position while holding other surgical tools. An IMU used for this purpose should provide precise position information in a small motion range restricted by a few degrees of rotation. In this study, major difficulties in establishing a user interface between an IMU and a surgical robotic arm are identified, and the necessary solutions for implementation of such an interface are presented. The study focuses on the IMU devices that combine accelerometers and gyroscopes based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology because of their smaller size and low power requirement. Working principles and the calibration techniques of MEMS IMUs are reviewed. Three fusion algorithms that combine accelerometer and gyroscope data to determine the orientation of an object in three-dimensional space are implemented. Performance of these fusion algorithms and critical specifications of MEMS IMUs from three different manufacturers are evaluated by monitoring sensor data through a wireless interface. A graphical evaluation software was developed to test position mapping methods by steering field of view of a hypothetical camera towards randomly determined targets on the computer screen. Effectiveness of the position mapping methods was evaluated by several users by comparing the total angular displacement and the elapsed time required to reach a number of simulated targets.