Algorithm for calculating distance and sensor-object angle from raw data of ultra-low power, long-range ultrasonic time-of-flight range sensors

Abstract

Ultrasonic sensors are very inexpensive and easy to handle sensors, which are currently hardly exploited in their potential for the industry. Current ultrasonic sensors only return a distance value to the nearest object for the user. With this kind of feedback it is not possible, for example, to determine the relative position of the object (workpieces, robots, people) from the sensor in a detection area. Using an algorithm and multiple ultrasonic sensors, triangulation can take place here to obtain additional information from the raw ultrasonic measurement data. The paper deals with the number, arrangement, and raw measurement data of ultrasonic sensors to detect multiple objects with distance and angle information beyond the one distance value.