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From: kjb@cs.brown.edu (Ken Basye)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Getting narrow-beam range data
Message-ID: <77904@brunix.UUCP>
Date: 7 Jun 91 18:18:13 GMT
Sender: news@brunix.UUCP
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We're looking for a way of getting a single range measurement in a
particular direction.  We have sonar, but the beam is far too wide.
I don't think that simple active IR will not have enough range.
Ideally, we'd like something that has low power consumption, a 5-10
degree cone (or less) and a range up to at least 4 meters, although it
need not be very accurate (even +/- 10 cm would be OK).  

We've thought about trying to narrow our sonar with some sort of cone,
and also of trying to retroengineer an electronic tape measure.  We're
also looking into structured light as a solution.  If anyone out there
has any other ideas, or any helpful hints about the ideas above, I'd
appreciate hearing about them.  Please respond by mail; I'll summarize
if there's enough interest.
    Thanks,
        Ken



Internet/CSnet  kjb@cs.brown.edu     U.S. MAIL  Ken Basye
UUCP            uunet!brunix!kjb                Box 1910
                                                Dept. of Computer Science
                                                Brown University
                                                Providence, RI  02912