Hi !
I wanted to make a robot for junior Robocup , but this robot needs to detect a "reflective silver tape" at some point to understand that it has entered the second phase of the field.
I have watched a couple of videos of these robots but its impossible to understand how they manage to detect this reflective tape, and information on these is scarce on the internet.
The first idea was to use IR sensors , but I dont believe its possible to differentiate between a "white" and a "silver,reflective" surface with conventional IR sensors.
My next idea whose feasibility is under question at this point was to use a colored LED (for instance red) to shine on the surface and use a color sensor (which is present beneath the robot for other reasons) to detect the reflective surface , but then again I cannot be certain if there is a difference between a glossy white surface and a reflective silver surface in such a situation.
The biggest problem is that the properties of this "tape" are unknown to me , so I wont be able to test any of my guesses and Ill have to choose some option which seems more reliable.
Id be grateful if anyone could advise me which way to go (or a completely different way)
thanks!