Color Sensor Detects Shaft Rotation Direction

Abstract

This case describes how to use a Color Sensor to detect the rotation direction of a shaft. A customer in Hebei asked for a solution to determine whether their steering shaft rotates clockwise or counterclockwise at low speeds. Atonm engineers proposed a simple solution: attach three different color marks on a cylinder and determine rotation direction by recognizing the order of the color marks. This article explains the implementation details and results.

Introduction

In industrial production, it is often necessary to monitor and control the rotation direction of shafts. However, achieving this in a non-intrusive and low-cost way can be challenging. Atonm presents a simple and effective solution using a Color Sensor to determine the shaft rotation direction.

Problem Statement

The customer needed a method to determine whether their shaft rotates clockwise or counterclockwise at relatively low speed. They sought a low-cost and easy-to-deploy solution.

Solution

By attaching three different color marks to a cylinder around the shaft and installing a Color Sensor to recognize the sequence of these marks, the problem can be solved. Steps:

(1) Mark the cylinder: attach three different color marks on the cylinder around the shaft, e.g., red, green and blue.

(2) Install the Color Sensor: mount the Color Sensor at a suitable position so it can scan the marks on the cylinder.

(3) Teach the sensor: choose the CL2 Color Sensor and use teach mode so the sensor can recognize and record the order of the marks.

(4) Determine rotation direction: judge the shaft rotation by the order of detected colors. For example, red-green-blue indicates clockwise rotation; blue-green-red indicates counterclockwise rotation.

Evaluation

Field tests show the solution can accurately determine the shaft rotation direction and meets the customer requirements. Advantages include low cost, ease of implementation, and non-intrusiveness—suitable for low-speed applications.

Conclusion

This case demonstrates a simple and effective method to detect shaft rotation direction by using a Color Sensor to recognize the order of color marks on a cylinder. The solution is cost-effective and easy to operate, suitable for various industrial scenarios.

Keywords: Color Sensor, shaft rotation, direction detection, mark recognition, industrial application.