Which way did they go? (was: Grim Reaper - Tracking Trick or Treaters)
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Posts: 46,084
Just giving this a bump to ask for some help...
Does anyone know of a way to use a stamp to detect a person from about 10
feet away and determine which direction they're moving in? And then follow
the position of that person as they move around?
I've looked on the robotics sites, and all of the IR stuff I found is
limited to about 26". I didn't find anything in the LOSA either.
Any ideas on how to do this?
Thanks!
Bob
Original Message
From: Poniatowski Bob <bobpony@m...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 9:25 PM
Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Grim Reaper - Tracking Trick or Treaters
> Hi,
>
> I'm pretty new to Stamps, but I'm learning fast (Al's book has been a huge
> help - thanks Al!).
>
> I'm working on plans for an animatronic Grim Reaper for my Halloween
> display. I'd like to have it pan as people walk by the front
> yard...tracking them as they go by. I figure the people will be about ten
> or twelve feet away from the animatronic, the whole thing will be out in
the
> front yard on Halloween night.
>
> What are my options for doing this?
>
> I've thought about hacking some motion detectors (the kind for turning on
> security lights)...but that just gives me a discrete indication that
someone
> is there...I want to be able to follow their movement as they walk down
the
> sidewalk. I'll pan the character's head with a servo, and have it talk to
> them.
>
> Any cheap heat sensing technology out there? [noparse];)[/noparse]
>
> Thanks in advance for any ideas!
>
> Bob Poniatowski
> bobpony.home.mindspring.com/halloween
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
Does anyone know of a way to use a stamp to detect a person from about 10
feet away and determine which direction they're moving in? And then follow
the position of that person as they move around?
I've looked on the robotics sites, and all of the IR stuff I found is
limited to about 26". I didn't find anything in the LOSA either.
Any ideas on how to do this?
Thanks!
Bob
Original Message
From: Poniatowski Bob <bobpony@m...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 9:25 PM
Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Grim Reaper - Tracking Trick or Treaters
> Hi,
>
> I'm pretty new to Stamps, but I'm learning fast (Al's book has been a huge
> help - thanks Al!).
>
> I'm working on plans for an animatronic Grim Reaper for my Halloween
> display. I'd like to have it pan as people walk by the front
> yard...tracking them as they go by. I figure the people will be about ten
> or twelve feet away from the animatronic, the whole thing will be out in
the
> front yard on Halloween night.
>
> What are my options for doing this?
>
> I've thought about hacking some motion detectors (the kind for turning on
> security lights)...but that just gives me a discrete indication that
someone
> is there...I want to be able to follow their movement as they walk down
the
> sidewalk. I'll pan the character's head with a servo, and have it talk to
> them.
>
> Any cheap heat sensing technology out there? [noparse];)[/noparse]
>
> Thanks in advance for any ideas!
>
> Bob Poniatowski
> bobpony.home.mindspring.com/halloween
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
Comments
You could use a Devantech sonar unit on a servo -- this gives you about 10
feet and you can tell by the ping time if they are coming or going.
You can salvage a microwave or passive I/R detector out of a burglar alarm
unit -- these have a longer detection range and are directional, but will
not tell you if they are coming or going.
You can get the microwave motion detector kit from Ramsey Electronics -- for
$20 it gives you about a 12' range and works pretty well, although it does
not give direction of travel either. On the plus side they are
omni-directional.
Some folks claim you can do some longer range stuff with I/R, but I've not
seen in actually work.
Original Message
> Does anyone know of a way to use a stamp to detect a person from about 10
> feet away and determine which direction they're moving in? And then
follow
> the position of that person as they move around?
>
> I've looked on the robotics sites, and all of the IR stuff I found is
> limited to about 26". I didn't find anything in the LOSA either.
>Just giving this a bump to ask for some help...
>
>Does anyone know of a way to use a stamp to detect a person from about 10
>feet away and determine which direction they're moving in? And then follow
>the position of that person as they move around?
>
>I've looked on the robotics sites, and all of the IR stuff I found is
>limited to about 26". I didn't find anything in the LOSA either.
>
>Any ideas on how to do this?
>
>Thanks!
>Bob
Hi Bob -
You might consider a series of beam-break detectors. By noting which
beams are being broken (the sequence) you can determine the direction of
travel.
You might want to take a look at the FireStick at www.rentron.com
for use in this application, presuming you can focus the beam. The
distance should be NO PROBLEM, since they really punch out the I/R Beam.
Regards,
Bruce Bates