Which Sensors Are Used for Distance Measurement? Exploring Distance Measurement Technologies

Distance measurement is an important application across construction, robotics, automotive navigation, and consumer electronics. Accurate ranging relies on various sensor technologies. This article explores common distance sensors and their applications.

1. Ultrasonic sensors: These emit ultrasonic pulses and measure the echo time to calculate distance, similar to bat echolocation. Ultrasonic sensors are effective at short-range and obstacle detection, used in automatic doors, parking assist, and robot navigation.

2. Laser sensors: High-precision rangefinders emit laser pulses and measure return time for accurate, fast distance measurements. Laser sensors are widely used in industrial automation, surveying, and remote sensing; LiDAR is used in autonomous vehicles for obstacle detection.

3. Infrared sensors: Widely used in consumer electronics, IR sensors emit infrared beams and measure return time or intensity, used in face recognition and gesture control; they also support distance measurements in some applications.

4. Camera-based sensors: Use image processing to estimate distance from captured images. Depth cameras combine IR illumination with processing to provide real-time 3D perception, applied in robotics, VR/AR, and navigation.

5. Millimeter-wave radar: Uses millimeter-wave signals and measures return time for distance and object detection. These radars offer good precision and penetration, used in autonomous driving, security, and meteorology.

Conclusion: Each ranging technology has strengths and suitable use cases. Ultrasonic, laser, IR, camera-based, and millimeter-wave sensors serve different ranges, accuracy, and environments. Choose the appropriate sensor based on application needs and budget. Ongoing advances continue to expand capabilities and applications.