help with what sensor to use

Using Arduino Sensors
1

Hi guys,

Wanted to setup a couple of sensors to detect hand movement direction (ie. detect hand swipe left, hand swipe right)

Is it best to use a couple of ir distance sensors and compare readouts from each or is there an easier way (and cheaper).

Cheers,

Shags

2

So many questions pop up:

  • may the sensor be connected to the hand or not?
  • distance between sensor and hand
  • should it work in daylight/darkness
  • minimum speed to detect
  • minimum size of hand
  • minumum displacedment to be recognized as movement (what is noise level)
3

Damn, didn't think about all those things.

Needs to work in high and low light
needs to work on all manner of hand sizes, doesn't matter if I need to make the movement more exaggerated
The hand will be close to the sensors (a couple of cm at most)

Just wanted to have something cool on the wall, that I could control by swiping left or right, ie. An LED screen with stuff on it and with sensors underneath that you can swipe left or right to go forward or back etc.

Thanks,

Shags

4

3 ir distance sensors will be a good start. placed correctly (3 corners of square?) you can detect:

  • if they are triggered left to right or vv (small interval)
  • if they are triggered up to down or vv
  • diagonal detection
  • if only one is triggered (large interval)
5

Sorry you will have to excuse my ignorance...

What is the third for? And what do you mean by vv?

And what is meant by small or large interval?

Also was thinking of using these, do you think appropriate?

http://www.robotgear.com.au/Product.aspx/Details/417-Sharp-IR-Distance-Sensor-GP2Y0D805Z0F-5cm-with-carrier-board

Sorry for all the questions.

Cheers
Shags

6

And what do you mean by vv?

Oops thats a dutch/latin acronym. It means "and back"

What is the third for?

If you have 3 sensors you can detect an up/down movement and left/right movement but also from upper-left to lower-right.
That means you can generate different triggers as with 3 sensors you have at least 6 possible sequences.

And what is meant by small or large interval?

time. You can state something like
"if two sensors are triggered within 1 second then it is considered the same movement" (small)
"if two sensors are triggered with an interval > 1 second it is considered two movements" (large)

Also was thinking of using these, do you think appropriate?

I think they are at least appropriate to get started, sharp has a whole range of sensors and you must really check which distance you want to detect.
Do not try to be on the edge of a sensors range.

Sorry for all the questions.

No need to apologize, questions that is what the forum is about.

7

You are a legend. Thanks heaps. That should get me started nicely!

8

You are a legend.

No he's not. Davids, van Basten, Cruijff, Cocu, Gullit are legends.

He's pretty good though!