Sensors - Infra-Red Sensors
Infrared sensors are very good at detecting obstacles and measuring distances, but can be of little use in bright light situations (like in sunshine), and can be affected by the color of the item they are detecting. They're small, well-proven, and very quick to process a measurement
This Infrared Remote Decoder Module can receive and decode wireless infrared transmissions over a 38 kHz carrier wave. It can easily interface to a microcontroller such as an Arduino with only 3 pins (Power, Ground, & TX). Arduino sample decoding program available under Resources tab.
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This sensor can detect the presence of a highly reflective object at 10cm, for less reflective objects (like hands) the distance is about 5cm.
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This sensor uses infrared technology to detect an object at 5mm by determining the difference between low reflective conditions (i.e. black) and high reflective conditions (i.e. white).
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The QRB1114 IR Sensor is a focused reflect sensor that is used for the detection of changes in a surface.
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The Pololu IR beacon is a compact board that is used in pairs to allow robots to locate each other.
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The QTR-1A reflectance sensor carries a single infrared LED and phototransistor pair in an inexpensive, tiny 0.5" x 0.3" module that can be mounted almost anywhere and is great for edge detection and line following applications.
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Line Sensor
IR emitter and receiver in one package for close-range optical detection (sold individually)
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