Digital IR Proximity Sensor Switch

There’s always something quite novel about opening a cupboard or entering a room and seeing the suddenly turn on to make everything easy to see, without requiring any manual Buttons & Switches, while also saving money by never wasting power unnecessarily. This kind of simple automation, while being quite advanced for Makers of the past, is actually far easier than you might think, and nowadays we have handy little Sensor Modules like these Digital IR Proximity Sensor Switches, which are built to sense the proximity of objects, and then provide functionality when an object is in front of it, or when the object in front of it disappears. This is very commonly used in Robotics, to provide a basic set of “eyes” for robots and allow for simple obstacle avoidance, but can also be used for novel automation projects such as proximity-based lighting systems, as well as for other unique applications like alternative control mechanisms for everyday tasks.

These sensors utilise infrared light and a photoreceptor to measure the time taken for light to leave the sensor, bounce off of objects in front of it, and then be received by the sensor, known typically as Time-of-Flight sensing. This type of sensing can be extremely accurate, as light moves at a constant speed, and as such can be measured with a very high level of precision. This results in fast and predictable response times, as well as reliability in sensing capabilities, as the important variable – light speed – remains the same no matter what environment it’s placed in. These Sensors operate on a convenient 5V so as to accommodate a wide range of microcontrollers like Arduino Boards, and feature a reasonably good detection range of between 3cm and 50cm, with the trigger point being adjustable to cater to all kinds of unique projects. This means that it can be used for little robots just as easily as it could be used for people-counters, and the simple but versatile style that it offers makes it a valuable tool for Makers, coders and tinkerers from many different industries.

So if you’ve always dreamed of integrating automated Lighting into your cupboards, would like to have your computer monitor turn on when you sit at your desk, or have other fun ideas on how you can utilise proximity based switching for your projects, this sensor offers simple but very reliable operations that can be used alongside all kinds of other Modules and components from relays to data loggers.

Additional Resources:

• For a quick rundown of the features of this sensor switch, as well as some sample code and a connection diagram to get you started, visit the DFRobot Adjustable IR Sensor Switch Wiki.

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.