Measuring distance sensor in short range to soft materials like wool, fabric and hair?

[nntona]

Hi

I need a type of sensor for my project to measure distance with average precision and between 0 up to 10 centimeter to soft materials like fabric, wool and hair? I looked a lot but unfortunately no success!

Thanks,

 

[zeusfaber]

Try googling "optical range sensor" and see if the devices that pop up there are any use to you.

A.

 

[ScottyUK]

Irwin Sick is one manufacturer to look at - they have most of the common technologies in their range.

 

[tygerdawg]

Wow, tough application. Your measured object's "surface" is variable, inconsistent, unstable, and resilient.

I would consider one of the laser-scanning displacement sensors marketed by Keyence. Fabulous devices, but expensive. Perhaps the other major sensor manufacturers have some clever devices also: OMRON, SUNX, Banner Engineering, SICK (as mentioned previously), Balluff, probably a dozen more that I could think of on a good day.

If your object has some resistance to it, then perhaps you could rig up a contact probe sensor of some sort. Keyence makes those, too. Or perhaps some sort of simple limit switch affair with a "paddle" attached to the swing arm to distribute the switch's imparted load on the squooshy surface across a larger area.

But one thing you MUST do is a better job of specifying your needs. The specification "with average precision" has no merit.

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering

http://www.bluetechnik.com

 

[Compositepro]

A laser triangulation sensor should work fine. This is similar to what is used on flush toilets to detect a person's presence.
Precision is pricey, but I've seen some for as low as $100, which consist of a diode laser and a CCD camera.

 

[Strong]

Google: microwave distance detector
Walt

 

[1gibson]

What type of sensor does a car backup alarm use? Not sure about the precision but should be cheap enough to try it out. If you have that system or have a friend/coworker that does, you could even test while it is still attached to a vehicle, which is free.

 

[itsmoked]

Those are ultrasonic which probably would work fine.

[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.parallax.com/catalog/sensors/proximitymotion[/url]

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com