Using optical (laser not LED) mice to measure distance and speed of robot

Projects General Guidance
1

I was wondering the feasibility of using 2 optical laser mice (taken apart), mounted close to the left and right wheels of a robot, facing down to gather info on distance and speed.

I could then measure any deviation in speed/distance for the left and right wheels/motors.

One problem I see is that the mouse has to be very close to the surface to track movement. Not sure if I could adjust the focus on the laser, etc... to have it track movement from a greater height.

Any thoughts or suggestions welcome,

Thomas

2

A search for "optical flow sensor" will give you the info you're looking for. There seem to be a great deal of sensor chips out on the market so anticipate problems finding examples for your specific chip.

I've seen a few projects where the user linked an optical sensor to a quadcopter for position stability, so yes what you're describing does make sense.