Performances study of distance measurement sensor with different object materials and properties

The selection of distance measurement sensor in order to apply it in any application is very important to avoid any invalid results in experimental results. This paper discussed a performances study of distance measurement sensor such as Sharp GP2D120 IR Sensor and Parallax's PING))) ultrasonic sensor which usually used in robotic applications by using various object's conditions and object's properties. This study was conducted at three objects with different properties and two different conditions. The distance is measured by using a Sharp GP2D120 IR Sensor and Parallax's PING))) ultrasonic sensor mounted on a constructed experimental setup at different distance. As the consequence, the measured distance which have been obtained shows the Parallax's PING))) ultrasonic sensor is more stable and accurate compared to the Sharp GP2D120 IR Sensor in distance measuring function under those properties and conditions.

I. Introduction

In the development of industrial field, the importance of measuring the short distance to the surface of measured objects is significantly increasing. Especially to the surface that needs no physical touch. This is because a non-contact measurement system provides the benefits in the sense of lower inspection cost as well as minimum inspection time. There are various types of surface object that might be involved in such kind of measurement. The one that could be very common are the objects having different colors as well as glittering objects which demand a proper study on how does each of them affects the output voltage-distance characteristic. This is because different object's color is said to be having different level of reflectivity [1].