Proximity Sensor help

carbongixxer · Nov 6, 2011

I hope you guys can point me in the right direction. I'm working on a project and I need a proximity sensor that can sense dirt, mud, or water when it gets on a piece of glass. What kind of proximity sensor would I use for this? Thanks for your help.

jackorocko · Nov 6, 2011

Well let's see, there are four types of proximity sensors; infrared, acoustic, capacitive, inductive. Inductive is out since nothing you are detecting is metal. Capacitive is also probably out. That leaves infrared and acoustic. The questions becomes if the substances you are trying to detect can reflect the infrared or acoustic light/sound waves?

Not having done any work with either sensor, my first gut reaction is think acoustically. As any substance on the glass would change how it would reflect the sound waves back to the sensor. How sensitive the sensor is though would effect how well it would work, as well as how noisy the surrounding area is. What exactly is the point of your project if I may ask?

shrtrnd · Nov 6, 2011

Yeah, it would help a lot if we knew your application.
Sounds like it might even be some kind of auto-sensing windshield wiper circuit for off-road
vehicle use.
It would be easier to point you in the right possible direction, if we knew your app.

carbongixxer · Nov 6, 2011

Thanks jack and shrtrnd for the quick replies. Shrtrnd you were really close on the application. I'm working on a project that would sense dirt, mud or water on a piece of glass and would activate a wiper to clean the surface. However its a smaller scale than a full windshield on a car.

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