Product Description

Stop the GoPiGo running into walls with a Ultrasonic sensor.

What is an ultrasonic sensor?

Ultrasonic sensors are small electronic sensors that sends a sound wave out, and when that sound wave hits an object, it “hear” the echo of the sound wave hitting that object. The sensor evaluates the echo received back, and measures the time interval between sending the signal and receiving the echo to determine the distance to an object.

So, imagine a car that is backing up. An ultrasonic wave is sent from the bumper, and when the wave hits the wall behind it, the sensor can hear that echo. If it takes .3 seconds to hear the echo, it knows it is very close, and can determine the distance.

Obstacle Avoiding Robots

Ultrasonic sensors are great for programming robots that can avoid objects. They do this by measuring the time interval between sending a sound wave and receiving the echo, and based on the time it takes, calculating distance to an object. This comes in handy when you are programming a robot to detect objects and find their way around them. Check out the video where students at Hood College used the ultrasonic sensor to program the GoPiGo Raspberry Pi Robot Car. They had to make the car rotate until it found an object 3m or less away. Then it had to move towards that object and stop within 20cm. Learn more about the GoPiGo here. You can get the ultrasonic sensor, along with aservo to make it rotate and everything else you need to get started in the GoPiGo Starter Kit.

Assembly instructions for the Ultrasonic Sensor can be found on Dexter Industries website, here.