I am trying to detect the distance above between an object and the floor in an outdoor environment. The distance is between 10cm and 1m The only spot where I can place my sensor is on the floor. My problem is the weather conditions: rain, wind, fog and snow.
I have tried putting an ultrasonic sensor(jsn-sr04t) looking up but when it rains the value is all wrong. I am thinking about using a TOF sensor however I am not sure of the readings it will give me on severe weather conditions.
To this end I have some questions:
1- Is there another type ultrasonic sensor that isn't affected by rain/snow?
2- When rain/snow drops on the TOF sensor will it detect it as an object?
3- Is there another type of sensor that can handle these conditions?
What is the object ?
How accurate do you want to know the distance ?
Perhaps radar signals are better with rain and snow than a infrared beam. However, the cheap radar motion detectors can not measure the distance. If the object has some weight, then you could make a big weighing scale in the floor.
I am trying to detect the distance above between an object and the floor in an outdoor environment. The distance is between 10cm and 1m The only spot where I can place my sensor is on the floor. My problem is the weather conditions: rain, wind, fog and snow.
I have tried putting an ultrasonic sensor(jsn-sr04t) looking up but when it rains the value is all wrong. I am thinking about using a TOF sensor however I am not sure of the readings it will give me on severe weather conditions.
To this end I have some questions:
1- Is there another type ultrasonic sensor that isn't affected by rain/snow?
2- When rain/snow drops on the TOF sensor will it detect it as an object?
3- Is there another type of sensor that can handle these conditions?
Please identify the material and the shape of your object.
Paul
To help you, it would be useful to know more about the object. Depending on the type of object, it I think that it is quite easy to find a sensor that can withstand difficult weather conditions (rain, snow...).
Personally, I am also looking for a sensor but a different one from yours. I'd like a sensor we can use on site to know and monitor pressure, temperature and cracks in the ground. I'm currently doing some research about it, if I find a sensor that meets your requirements I'll let you know.
TOF sensors likely give the distance to the first raindrop when it rains. If you can't get a clear line of sight, they don't work (so snow or a leaf blow onto it will make them stop working). Ultrasound is similar, those raindrops cause reflections. Again, covering the sensor disables it.
Inductive sensing is pretty resilient when it comes to presence detection (those detection loops can detect cars in all weather conditions) but distance detection may be thrown off by snow or rain. The object in question must be magnetisable (e.g. iron), distance sensing, if it works, will have to be calibrated for a specific object, and also 1m is a long way for inductive sensing.