Digital IR Proximity Sensor - Gravity Series

We’re quite lucky as humans to be born with so many senses built into us, with eyes to see light and colours, hands and feel to feel textures and shapes, and even an olfactory system (our noses) to sense chemicals, compounds and a range of other particulates in the air. Unfortunately though, Electronics don’t typically come preinstalled with all of these extremely advanced senses, and if we want to add them to our projects, we typically need to find Sensor Modules and other parts in order to sense small parts of the world around them, and attempt to interact with the world for more advanced functionality. It’s this reason that we’ve been continuously expanding our collection of various sensors over the years, to provide Makers like you (as well as ourselves) with as many different tools and Modules as possible to create complex projects that can actually make sense of the world around them and sometimes even offer insights that we humans (with our advanced natural senses) can’t even see, feel, smell or hear.

These Digital IR Proximity Sensors are excellent little enclosed electronics probes that are capable of detecting objects within a 3cm to 80cm range with a high level of precision, and it does this by bouncing infrared light off of objects and measuring the exact time taken for the light to bounce back. This is actually better than our eyes for sensing distances, as the time taken for light to travel is constant, and this means that if we simply code in the right calculations for that constant, these sensors can get precise measurements without any subjectivity or estimations – which we humans are typically prone to. These capabilities make these Sensors perfect for adding eyes to robotics projects so they can avoid objects, creating proximity-based automation that can turn things on or off as objects pass by the sensor, or even for basic alarm systems to keep out pesky cats or give you an early warning of incoming intruders.

With a simple digital output, an adjustable detection range, a convenient 5V operating voltage and easy compatibility with Arduino Boards and other 5V microcontrollers, these simple but effective IR Proximity Sensors are great tools for a wide number of exciting and functional applications.

Additional Resources:

• For more insights about this sensor, as well as some sample code and instructions on to use this sensor, check out the DFRobot Adjustable IR Sensor Switch Wiki Page.

As self-proclaimed “Robo-holics”, DFRobot is a company comprised of over 100 staff members, of which 30% are engineers who love to build robots. It was started in 2008 with the goal of embracing and promoting open-source hardware, with a core focus on Arduino, Raspberry Pi and their very own LattePanda development boards. Since then, DFRobot have manufactured over 1300 unique modules, sensors and components that all work together and complement each other, allowing users like us to enjoy a full spectrum of cutting edge robotics and electronics without having to pay premium prices.

With the primary goal of developing and manufacturing great quality products, while making them accessible to as many people as possible, DFRobot are rapidly becoming one of the most common-place brands in the world of open-source robotics and electronics. With more than 1300 products developed in-house, and an impressive range of different categories and specialisations, there are few brands in the world who can compete in terms of quality, accessibility and genuine innovation.