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[on:]

So I have an idea for a device which I am toying around with.  I want to use the Ping to track not only distance, but left and right movement as well.  This would then be displayed on an LCD screen on the device.  Does anyone know if this is possible with a single Ping?  If it isn't with just one, I'm sure it could be done with two using triangulation.  In either case, does anyone know how I can accomplish this?  I can't be the only one that has wanted to try something like this!

Thanks,
Eric

[Reply #1 on:]

The only idea that springs to my mind is to mount it on a bearing and scan it left to right.  The more advanced techniques that bats use for echo location are very complex.

[Reply #2 on:]

Unfortunately, the device needs to remain stationary and I need to track the movement around it.  Does anyone know if the two transducers on the Ping can act independent of each other?  That is essentially what I need.  Then, I just have to get an algorithm together that can calculate the movement front to back and left to right.

[Reply #3 on:]

Can anyone please help with this? Can the two units on the Ping act independent of each other or not? The other thought I had was to use a servo motor to scan the Ping unit back and forth. However this would be fairly complex and probably out of my programming abitilties, as the software would need to keep track of the precise position of the servo, then correlate the direction it is moving with the input coming from the Ping.  The other problem I run into here is that once placed in a space, the dimensions of the space would affect the readings on the Ping since there would not be a static backdrop (ie: wall) behind it.