Best sensor for switching from one FastLED code to another, when people approach the lights?

Projects General Guidance
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I am working on a piece where I would like to have a set of lights lit up solid, until someone approaches it, and then the solid lights switch off or dim, and my other lights coded with an animation would then play.

The three options that seem to be relevant are an Ultrasonic Sensor, a PIR sensor, and maybe an IR sensor. I think the PIR sensor would integrate more seamlessly with the piece and be less noticeable, I am just not sure it’s the best option.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and ideas!

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Your parts list looks good. You will need power. Add up the power need, then add 10% (some say 50%).

What does that mean? "Works"? Go with what you have, then try different devices. Take notes, then make your final selection. If you want small movement sensor, read about "mmw" sensors.

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I've used these

and find they work well.

Any sensor should first be deployed in circumstances similar to the final installation, doing nothing more than lighting up or not one LED based on the raw sensor output.

So you get to know the behaviour independent of piles of code you might not even be so sure is on track.

Such small sketches are valuable later, too, as you can swap it back in and check that the sensor(s) at least are not the problem.

The best detector I have combines the RF doppler sensor and a PIR sensor. As it happens, PIR gets left and right motion, the RF gets closer-nearer motion.

a7

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I would first focus on the practical details of that approach.

How close? From what direction? Height? In isolation or a group? Possible ambiguity (others passing nearby, dogs, those hovering on the range threshold, etc).

With that done you shoud be more confident of homing in on one of those good four options (your three plus @alto777 ‘s microwave speed detector). Even perhaps a simple pad close to or surrounding the target, closing a microswitch.

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You can also use radar sensors and the more modern 'human presence sensors. '

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These will be in a gallery setting so I guess, if a person approaches from any direction, between the height of like 3-7 feet (small child to large adult) within, say, 2 feet of distance to the art piece? Dogs probably won’t be a factor. Hovering on the range threshold won’t be too troublesome I guess. Basically I just want it to sit illuminated (a separate, static glow ring of lights inside the piece) and then when the person with the details above approaches, it plays my other animation with the other lights that are inside the piece.

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