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Fingernail Sized Radar — Parallax Forums

Fingernail Sized Radar

NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
edited 2014-07-13 22:00 in General Discussion
While doing some research for a small radar or ping type system I came across this article and thought it to be quite interesting since it could also be used in robotics.

EDIT: I am sure someone here has seen this site before but it is a first for me. It has some pretty cool new and upcoming gadgets in it.

Comments

  • RS_JimRS_Jim Posts: 1,766
    edited 2014-07-10 14:23
    The range doesn't seem to be any better than a ping.
    Jim
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-07-11 06:23
    The PING is dependent on ultra-sonic sound, so the results vary with the density of the air. And the density of air is dependent on the weather and how much humidity and barometric pressure are involved.

    On the other hand, RADAR would be consistent... day in and day out.

    But I suspect that trying to buy a few of these would be next to impossible. They are likely going to be held back for some touchpad or cellular phone to introduce to the masses. And if you can see behind you, it will get very, very weird.
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2014-07-11 11:09
    3 meters range is just enough to get you into trouble. Or out of it...

    Imagine a firefighter with these chips installed in their masks?
    Now they can 'see' through the densest smoke and see if there's n obstruction, or a body, on the floor...

    Add inertial guidance and a Wifi link to 'talk' to other units or central controller, and suddenly you know where other firefighters have gone and 'cleared' areas.

    This chip and inertial guidane alone, though, could be used mapping caves or old buildings...

    Of course, a longer range would be nice...
  • User NameUser Name Posts: 1,451
    edited 2014-07-11 15:19
    Loopy Byteloose wrote: »
    The PING is dependent on ultra-sonic sound, so the results vary with the density of the air. And the density of air is dependent on the weather and how much humidity and barometric pressure are involved.

    As a mechanical engineer, you ought to know that speed of sound in air is dependent on temperature, not pressure.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-07-12 03:55
    Dew point is dependent of temperature and pressure... Wouldn't the humidity content of the air affect sound transmission?

    BTW, I am not a mechanical engineer.. most of my background is in civil and structural engineering.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-07-12 04:36
    The first radar I worked on was twice as high as a house:
    fig2.jpg
    t93_2m.jpg
    Nice 256 mile range 3D radar.

    The radars I work with today are only the size of an egg box:
    [img]http://www.smartmicro.de/images/smartmicro/traffic/product_gallery/Radar Sensor Bracket 07 Front.jpg[/img]
    Used in traffic detection.

    I'd love to get hold of some of these little fellas.
  • Mark_TMark_T Posts: 1,981
    edited 2014-07-13 06:39
    Loopy Byteloose wrote: »
    Dew point is dependent of temperature and pressure... Wouldn't the humidity content of the air affect sound transmission?
    Humidity has little effect unless it condenses - the gas laws are universal, PV = nRT, velocity is proportional to
    square-root of pressure/density, and thus to square-root of absolute temperature divided by averaged
    molecular weight. At high densities the ideal gas equation breaks down as the particles are in contact much more.

    density = nw/V (w is molecular weight)
    pressure/density = PV/nw = nRT/nw = RT/w (and R is a constant).
    Thus v proportional to sqrt (T/w)

    [PS can't wait for that chip! Suspect a whole host of novel applications]
  • Mark_TMark_T Posts: 1,981
    edited 2014-07-13 15:57
    A little poking around found the website for the project, hoping there would be new news
    and even product (given the date of the new article linked to):
    http://www.success-project.eu/
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-07-13 22:00
    It seems to be an EU funded project that was active into 2013... maybe still active, or not.

    With the recent elections, the EU has had a big political shift and this project might become stalled by funding debates. It is hard to sort out reality from glowing press releases. There certainly are a lot of big players in the SUCCESS Project, but getting to actual production is another story.

    After all, it seems Xerox developed a lot of the early internet, a precursor to GUI and the mouse via similar creative funding in the US; and then just let the innovations sit until others decided to bring these things to market.

    The Success-Project says it held its 'Final Workshop' in May of 2013. And the site mentions its EU grant.
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