A Simple way to detect proximity?

Thread Starter

GRNDPNDR

Joined Mar 1, 2012
545
I need a little help to try and bring a simple idea to fruition.

I want to build a small/simple device that will detect proximities within about a foot.

I will need to use probably 4 input sensors, and it'll run on 12V.

I'm not really sure what components to use, but it should function in a pretty simple fashion. When any one of the sensors detects an object about 1 foot away, it should light an LED or some other form of indicator light. I can modify it to trigger a relay to turn on a larger light or something.

I want to do this to put on my dads garage door so we can stop backing our trucks into it :) it happens often enough to justify some simple system to tell us when we're close to it. that's why I think an LED would work fine, I can just install it in the door so the light can be seen through the rear window
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
not used to seeing either? A garage door (well to most people) is pretty hard to miss. :p
It's funny this is mentioned right now. Friend of mine had his garage door smashed just last weekend by his neighbor who was pulling in after a night out, wrong house, he apparently didn't look to see if his opener worked.
 

tracecom

Joined Apr 16, 2010
3,944
It's funny this is mentioned right now. Friend of mine had his garage door smashed just last weekend by his neighbor who was pulling in after a night out, wrong house, he apparently didn't look to see if his opener worked.
Adult beverages involved?

If the door had opened, who knows how far in the house he would have gotten?
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
Adult beverages involved?

If the door had opened, who knows how far in the house he would have gotten?
I'm guessing the answer to the first question is "yes".

The second, he'd have ended up in the back yard, the garage is attached to the side of the house, so only 1 side wall is connected to house.

The one car he had in the garage at the time was on the other side and didn't get damaged. Lucky lucky.
 

Thread Starter

GRNDPNDR

Joined Mar 1, 2012
545
That sonar is pretty cool and might just be the thing I need.

The username comes from car audio....not military.

And I would just like to say that discussions of modifications TO A VEHICLE are prohibited on this forum, thus I am NOT modifying a vehicle, and therefore must put this device "on the garage door"...
 

ErnieM

Joined Apr 24, 2011
8,377
I have such a sensor in my kitchen built into a garbage can: you put your hand (or anything) near the lid and it opens the lid for you.

The front is sealed so no ultrasonics here. There is a tinted window with a LED beneath (flashes green when opening and red when closing), so I suspect there is an IR transmitter and receiver pair in there: when it sees an increase return pulse it triggers the opening.

It's range is perhaps 6 inches at most.
 
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