How can I measure dimensions using Arduino?

Other Hardware Sensors
1

Hi Friends,

I'm new to Arduino community and would appreciate a little help.

I am looking for a solution using Arduino to measure dimensions of materials such as slabs or tiles. Do you have any idea how I could accomplish that? Like what kind of sensors or methods?

Thanks,
Dev

2

How accurate do you require the measurement? What size slabs or tiles? What degree of automation? (Can you move the slab around?)

Weedpharma

3

The dimensions should be accurate to 1 cm. The slabs are usually measured in inches or square feets and are usually 52+/- inches long. And yes, we can move slabs.

4

Please explain why and what is the procedure.

Eg, slab cutter machine needing monitoring for 3 dimensions.

Tell us all about it so we can work out a procedure.

Weedpharma

5

weedpharma:
Please explain why and what is the procedure.

Eg, slab cutter machine needing monitoring for 3 dimensions.

Tell us all about it so we can work out a procedure.

Weedpharma

We need to measure marble slabs to record for inventory. Accurate measurement of our inventory will allow us to get complete value of our stock. We do not want this procedure in any existing machine but rather make a device that could help us measure so we have our inventory updated accurately.

6

I'd be inclined to make up a tape measure kind of affair with a rotary encoder. A couple of buttons and an SD card. Once you get it working, shrinkify it onto an ATtiny. The whole thing could be about the size of a large tape measure.

Then to upload all the data to your database you could simply take out the card and plug it into your computer.

7

KenF:
I'd be inclined to make up a tape measure kind of affair with a rotary encoder. A couple of buttons and an SD card. Once you get it working, shrinkify it onto an ATtiny. The whole thing could be about the size of a large tape measure.

Then to upload all the data to your database you could simply take out the card and plug it into your computer.

I also think that is a pretty good idea, especially if you want to use your device anywhere inside your stock.

If you have a fixed place inside your stock, where you do all the measuring, you could also fix an infrared distance sensor to your measuring table and use a reflector, that you hold on the edge of your slab. In that case you could also use an ethernet shield an upload the data automatically

8

The slabs are not perfectly shaped. Though they are rectangles but they are broken at edges most of the times.
Can we use some simple Arduino gadget that could use sensors and math to measure.

9

Hi
you could use the definition of integral operation,
distance sensor--> irregular edge encoder irregular edge <--distance sensor
|<--------------------------------base------------------------------------------------->|
You have to be sure to move in straight way the encoder