Direction Sensing Active IR Sensor Thing.

Mio · 08-08-2005, 07:56 PM

Ok. So I had an idea for a way to work with my yet-to-be-completed carputer. I was thinking of using two inline modulated IR sensors to detect the direction of a hand passing over it. Basically, One direction would control one function, the other would control another.

Unfortunetly, I'm at a loss with how to do it. My scouring of the internet has turned up little relevent information, and that which I did find, I seem unable to mash it all together into a usable project.

If anyone has any ideas/links to possible good resources/free-time-to-help, I'd be greatly appreciative.

Normally, I'd just pass whether a sensor is being fired to the computer, then process it in there (That would be easy.), but This time I want it all done in the circuit.

What else? Oh. It's for driving an R/S flip/flop. So One direction would have to signal R, another would have to signal S. (The flip flop is to be controlled by both the computer and the sensor simulataneously. I know, Its messy, but I really want this completely independant of the computer, but triggering something the computer is also capable of triggering)

Chris31 · 08-08-2005, 08:03 PM

Open up a mouse and inside you find the answer, or shall I say a clue

Mio · 08-08-2005, 08:40 PM

Actually, I didn't even consider that.

Now. How does the mouse work? Does the optical sensor only work on a specific plane? If so, it probably wouldn't work for what I want, as it would need to have a variable range of between 1/4"-1.5" (Give or Take)

Mio · 08-15-2005, 08:27 AM

The only thing I can think of is two IR Sensors and a single (Maybe two, but that doesn't really matter) IR LED. a PIC would have to send out modulated signals, and check each LED, and determine which fires first. But I'm not sure how to do the timing. for the whole thing.

Anyone have any better ideas? Or know of someone who has done something like this?

RoyN · 08-16-2005, 12:45 PM

what about a webcam? I think there was a webcam that came bundled with a little ball-game that you could control the ball by waving your hand in front of the camera and "block"/"hit" the ball to get it to hit a certain area... maybe there is some sort of sdk for this stuff....

adaminc · 10-03-2005, 12:55 AM

I would suggest using ultrasonic transducers over using IR Emitters/Detectors because IR Detectors would detect sunlight and body heat, whereas with an ultrasonic transducer, you could have a sort of makeshift sonar.

You would need 3 of them, one would be a transmitter, the other 2 would be recievers, and you just use a microcontroller to determine which one recieves the signal first as your hand moves across.