Robot Sensors

• Allow a robot to interact with its environment in a

flexible, and intelligent manner

Robot Sensors • A robot that can see and feel is much easier to
train and deploy to perform complex tasks

• Provide position and velocity of wheels as a

continuous stream of feedback signals that
possess an integral part of the control loop
Dr. Rohan Munasinghe
BSc, MSc, PhD, MIEEE
Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering
Faculty of Engineering • Provide information about the environment and
University of Moratuwa 10400
the objects therein

Sensor Characteristics Switch Sensor

• Dynamic range • Indicates whether or not a contact has been made, while
– Minimum and maximum values of the input signal for which disregarding the magnitude of the contact force
the sensor responds
– Micro switches, limit switches
• Response Ω
47kΩ
+5V
– Sensor should respond to the stimuli almost instantaneously signal
• Sensitivity 0V GND
– The change in sensor output for a unit change in input
• Linearity
– Whether the sensor maintains same sensitivity within the
entire dynamic range
5V:not pressed (“false”) Ω
47kΩ
+5V
0V:pressed (“true”)
signal
• Other considerations 5V GND
– Sensor should not disturb the physical quantity it measures Ω
47kΩ

– Sensor should be suitable for the environment it is exposed

– Sensor should be isolated from noise, and protected from
physical damages
– Size, cost, and ease of operation
 Applications of Switch Sensors Optosensors
• Passive Sensors
• Collision detection and ground detection
– Photocell (LDR): street light trigger
– Slow response
Ω in the dark (open cct), and 10Ω
– 10kΩ Ω(short cct) in bright light
• Used in potential divider configuration
• Light (photons) transfer energy to bound electrons
• Responsiveness to a wide range of frequencies
– IR, visible, UV

Optosensors cntd.. Interfacing a Photocell

• Active sensors Potential divider
– Emitter : Infra red LED
– Detector : Photodiode (faster), or Phototransistor (sensitive)
– Performance Robot
• fast response, low light levels, wavelength match Control
– Two kinds of active Optosensors board
• Reflective: light is reflected off a surface onto the detector
– Used for proximity sensing
• Break beam: light is shined directly onto the detector, and is 5V Gnd 7 Analog inputs
obstructed by an opaque object Light Baffling
– Used for shaft encoding (with a slotted wheel)
 Interfacing Active Optosensors Properties of Optosensors
• Emitter testing
– IR is invisible
– use IR detector card, camcoder, or camera phone to check
OFF 5V whether IR emitter works
ON 0V
• IR filter
– Semiconductor junction is most efficient in infra-red
wavelengths. Detector is usually attached with a filter, which
allows infra-red to pass through while blocking ambient light
interference

• Adjust pull-up resister • Correction for ambient light

Light falls on ⇒ detector current ↑ ⇒ voltage across pull-up – Switch emitter ON and OFF and get the difference of the two
resister ↑⇒ analog reading ↓ readings
– Use different pull-up resisters to improve response – Reduce power consumption too
• Emitter brightness control
Ω ⇒ 10mA. Check whether it is bright enough.
– 5V through 500Ω

Break-Beam Sensor Reflective Optosensor

• Digital IR Sensors • Digital IR Sensors
– Whether you see through the slot – Whether you are in very close proximity of an obstacle

5V (logic 1) on black
0V (logic 0) on white
 Absolute Encoder Qudrature Shaft Encoder (two tracks)
Resolution = 360 / 2 n
1800
n = number of bits
Shaft
position
This track and
sensor Is missing
In figure
inner outer wheel motion
Eg. 110010
= 3×360/26
= 6.875°

time time

Phase ⇒Direction of motion

Pulse count (and derivative) ⇒ position (and velocity)

Qudrature Shaft Encoder (one track) IR Distance Measuring Sensors

• Measures distance to obstacle
Encoder A Encoder B

1 0

counter
clockwise -1 +1 clockwise

Counter clockwise motion

A

clockwise counter
clockwise
 IR Distance Measuring Sensor IR Distance Measuring Sensor
• Use reception intensity as a measure of distance
• SHARP GP2D12 : Distance output type (10cm~80cm) Timing
Diagram
• SHARP GP2D12 : Distance judgment type (24cm)

Reflectivity Illumination

Sensing High Speeds Sensing Low Speeds

3
ω≈
T
or
4
ω≈
T + δT
 Ultrasonic Range Sensor Sonar Sensor Interface
Internal resonances takes Pin
• 3cm ~4m, 40~60kHz Configuration
2.38ms to decay out.
• Emits ultrasonic ping and listen to the echo Echoes can be detected
time of flight × 0.5 × sound speed = distance to obstacle after this interval (min
distance limit)
• Problems
– Wide field of reception: where is the obstacle exactly?? At a distance, echo
– False echoes: ground reflection, etc.. becomes too weak to be
– Not very accurate: sound speed changes on temperature and humidity detected (max distance)

Timing Diagram
Mode 1 (two pin)

Sonar Sensor Beam width Robots with Ultrasonic Sensors

• Real-time Collision Avoidance

As frequency increase attenuation increases and beam width reduces

Beam width shouldn’t be too wide to hear false echoes. It shouldn’t be too
narrow to miss a legitimate obstacle
Narrow beam width sensors are used atop a scanning (servo) mechanisms