A triangulation sensor uses optics to locate objects by triangulating the angles of light from an LED and photodiode. It can be used in automatic doors and robotics, and to locate cell phone signals. It can also detect when an object’s position changes, such as in automatic door security mechanisms.
A triangulation sensor is a device that typically uses optics to determine the location of an object. Typically, at least one light emitting diode (LED) and one photodiode are required for this type of system, but additional sensors can also be used. The position of an object can be triangulated based on the angles of the light from the LED and the light returning to the photodiode. A common use of this type of triangulation sensor is as a safety mechanism in automatic doors. These systems are able to determine when a person is near the door, as the person will tend to interfere with the light path from the triangulation sensor and have it reflect at a different angle or not at all.
Triangulation is a process that can be used to find the location of an object using two or more other known locations. In both cases, it uses certain known data and trigonomic identities to determine unknown information. An example of triangulation is how a cell phone signal can be located in close proximity to two or more cell towers. Another is how an object’s position can be determined based on a triangle drawn between that object and a known baseline, which results in two known angles and a known distance measurement. The trigonomic identities can then be used to determine the unknown distance.
Optical triangulation sensors can be useful in robotics and when measuring the position of objects that are fragile and could be easily damaged if physically touched with a probe. These sensors typically use an LED or other light source and one or more receptors such as photodiodes. The distance between the receptors and the light source is known, so it is also possible to determine the angle at which the light left the LED and arrived at the photodiode. These three known digits can then be used to determine the distance to an object using trigonomic identities.
Another common use of a triangulation sensor is in automatic door security mechanisms. This type of triangulation sensor does not physically measure the position of the floor, but it can detect when that position changes. When these devices are calibrated, the photodiode receptor is positioned so that the light from the LED hits the floor, reflects off, and then hits it. The system is able to detect when a person is near the door, as they will tend to block the light from hitting the photodiode. This informs the system of the presence of a person or other object, which can help prevent a collision between an automatic door and a pedestrian.
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