LoHave you ever wondered how obstacle avoidance robots work? What is the dynamics involved? Yes, the ultrasonic sensor attached to the robot acts as the eyes of the robot. It detects any obstacle present in the front, and based on that it changes the direction of the robot.

What are Ultrasonic Waves?

Ultrasonic wave is defined as “inaudible sound with high frequency for humans” the frequency of which generally exceeds 20 kHz. These days, sound waves which are not intended to be heard are also called ultrasonic waves.

HCSR – 04 Ultrasonic Ranging Sensor:

Ultrasonic ranging module HC – SR04 provides 2cm – 400cm non-contact measurement function, the ranging accuracy can reach to 3mm. The modules include ultrasonic transmitters, receiver and control circuit. 

The basic working principle: 

Ultrasonic sensors work by sending out a sound wave at a frequency above the range of human hearing.  The transducer of the sensor acts as a microphone to receive and send the ultrasonic sound. Our ultrasonic sensors, like many others, use a single transducer to send a pulse and to receive the echo.  The sensor determines the distance to a target by measuring time lapses between the sending and receiving of the ultrasonic pulse.

The working principle of this module is simple.  It sends an ultrasonic pulse out at 40kHz which travels through the air and if there is an obstacle or object, it will bounce back to the sensor.  By calculating the travel time and the speed of sound, the distance can be calculated.

Ultrasonic sensors are a great solution for the detection of clear objects.  For liquid level measurement, applications that use infrared sensors, for instance, struggle with this particular use case because of target translucence.

For presence detection, ultrasonic sensors detect objects regardless of the color, surface, or material (unless the material is very soft like wool, as it would absorb sound.) 

To detect transparent and other items where optical technologies may fail, ultrasonic sensors are a reliable choice. 

Applications

Tank Level

Liquid level sensors are integral to process control and inventory management in many industries.

Production line Sensor

Ultrasonic sensors can be applied to the manufacturing process for automated process control on the factory floor while also being an indispensable tool for companies to maximize efficiency through precise measurement and control.
Ultrasonic sensors can streamline the production processes.

Distance Measurement

Ultrasonic sensors can measure the distance to a wide range of objects regardless of shape, color or surface texture. They are also able to measure an approaching or receding object.