Motion Sensing

Using Arduino Sensors
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I am wanting to track motion of machines. I am hoping to get some feed back as to what would be the best sensor to track vertical motion. I just need to know when something is being lifted off the ground and when it comes back down to a stationary position. i do not need to track 3 axis movement, just up and down. I also do not care if i can or cannot track force, movement is its primary function.

Ideally i do not want a sensor mounted away from the machine, but something that could be attached to the machine that is being lifted.

Any suggestions on what type of sensor i could use to do this?

2

Not 100% clear to me: Do you need to know if it's on or off the ground, or do you actually need to know it's moving, and /or where it is?

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I need to know when it is on/off the ground. I do not need to know where the machine is at all times. i just need to know when it is being lifted and when it is being set back down. I just figured that would be considered motion, because it is moving up and down. The machines will only be moving in a vertical fashion (up/down)

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Would it be enough to know that it has "just" been lifted and "just" put back?

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Any suggestions on what type of sensor i could use to do this?

Most people use a lever-type microswitch. They are reliable and cheap.

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jremington:
Most people use a lever-type microswitch.

My thought too, but I'm still not clear on the need (or not) to know the thing's actually moving...

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That could potentially work. So the way it will work is it will be lifted and every time it is set down we will program the data to count. so every time it is lifted and set down it will count REPS(1, 2, 3) and so on. After an extended period of time of the machine not being lifted we will then count those REPS and put them under 1 SET and the next time the machine is lifted again it will start counting the REPS again (1, 2, 3) and after an extended period of time of not being lifted it will count those REPS under SET 2, and so on.

I hope that makes sense.

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This will be a good starting point I'd say: StateChangeDetection

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I was hoping it would be retrofitted to the piece of equipment and it would be wireless. Would this still be a good start?

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it would be wireless

How would you power it?

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i was hoping battery powered.

12

That certainly adds a challenge to the project!

You will have to measure (and do everything you can to reduce) the current drain, figure out how long you need the batteries to last, determine how and how often they will be replaced, etc.

For reference, the Arduino Uno Rev3 can run for about a day, continuously, on a set of AA batteries.

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hmm, yes, i will have to think about that, because realistically i will need the battery life to be at least a month long.

when Arduino Uno Rev3 is not in use is there a way to get the technology to use little to no energy, so it is not constantly going?

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Hello Guys,

I am working my Msc project in Remote rehabilitation using inertia sensor and adruino for stroke patients. I am really interested in the project though i have electrical engineering background i don't practice it for long. I am going to use gyroscope and accelerometer for my project pls i need a guide to start the project.

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@Alazar: Why are you hijacking this thread?

@elliot: see this guide to low power Arduino programming: https://www.gammon.com.au/power

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@jremington thank you. i will take a look at the guide and respond with my findings. i really appreciate your help.

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