Infrared may work well for short distances unless you've got black baseboards, or if you are outside or dealing with some kinds of indoor flourescent lights. Ultrasonic sensors work well for longer distances up to a couple of meters. Bump sensors (switches) work great if infrared and ultrasonic both fail. If you're outside, GPS may be a good choice. IR beacons can work well in controlled indoor environments. Magnets embedded in the floor can also provide a path for a robot to follow. Infrared may also be used to follow a black line on the ground. You could even use RFID tags to create a space that can help a robot find itself. Photoresistors work well for following or avoiding light, and may also provide some very limited form of obstacle detection. Commercial laser rangefinders can work up to long distances, too.
It all depends on what you want to do. Best choice: get yourself a Boe-Bot and you'll have a better idea about the choices.
There are several sensors available for small robots.
There's the "Ping", which can be put on a servo-steerable bracket and used like a "radar" out to 10 feet.
There's IR-LED to IR-Detector systems, which are good out to a few inches.
There's physical "whisker" connections for detecting collisions.
There's line-sensors for making line tracking robots.
There's even the CMU-Cam, a digital camera with on-board electronics for tracking a "target" of a particular "Color". This last is a little expensive and takes more programming to use.
There's a compass module which you can use to know what direction your robot is "pointing" in.
Point being, what's "best" depends on the purpose of your robot. A Sumo-Bot will need simpler sensors than a room-mapping robot.
SRLM - I'm infrequent to the forums, so sometimes I get involved in conversations and can't come back to reply. I don't have any specific recommendations on a laser rangefinder. However, at the Sensors Expo in Chicago this last June I saw an assortment of laser rangefinders in the $1K range. Too expensive for our projects, I know.
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- Stephen
It all depends on what you want to do. Best choice: get yourself a Boe-Bot and you'll have a better idea about the choices.
Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
There's the "Ping", which can be put on a servo-steerable bracket and used like a "radar" out to 10 feet.
There's IR-LED to IR-Detector systems, which are good out to a few inches.
There's physical "whisker" connections for detecting collisions.
There's line-sensors for making line tracking robots.
There's even the CMU-Cam, a digital camera with on-board electronics for tracking a "target" of a particular "Color". This last is a little expensive and takes more programming to use.
There's a compass module which you can use to know what direction your robot is "pointing" in.
Point being, what's "best" depends on the purpose of your robot. A Sumo-Bot will need simpler sensors than a room-mapping robot.
$500
$1300+
And these aren't even SICK lasers, either. Anyway, msummers, you also have the choice of wheel encoders.
Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.