Hi
I also found the laser scanning ones but they cost the same as my car...so no option there.
Everything is relative...
Here's your option
I was wandering [...]
Follow the link above and your wandering is a thing of the past
[...] if it would be possible (or if someone has already done this) to use the laser distance measuring tools that are currently available in the tool stores.
something like this:
http://www.bosch-do-it.nl/boptocs2-nl/Doe-het-zelver/Gereedschappen/NL/nl/hw/Laserafstandsmeters/95299/PLR+30/11510/index.htm
It would be nice to be able to use something like this for the beam is much more narrow that the ultrasonic and infrared ones and thus more acurate...
anyone any ideas?
It's allways a good idea to post a link in the English language or point to a translator on the net (for those that find it hard to open the page in a translator themselves), but luckily, Dutch (as written language) is close enough to Danish (at least when you are schooled in Latin) that I can read about 95% of it and if I'm not mistaken, it's the very model I was drooling over in the local hardware store about a month ago.
In DK, it's around €220 to €240, so I let the store keep it (for the time being) as I wasn't really needing it.
It's about 10 times what the Ultra Sound variety costs (and they suck big time, so I'll probably convert mine to a 'bot sensor).
The Bosch
is a LASER measure and while I haven't opened one, from the outside, it looks like it uses the same principle as the Sharp rangers (it could be phase lag oriented, but it looked like a CCD as the Sharp use them and TOF is not going to happen in a consumer device in a very long time, if ever). I've only tested it in the shop, but it seemed to be spot on and was not confused by nearby stuff.
As I haven't opened it, I can't say if it's easy to hack, but I assume most is handled in a DSP chip with no wires to tap - A µcontroller could read the LCD lines of course, but then we're talking serious design that you shouldn't even attempt until the time that you
dream electronics design.
Perhaps you can get it much cheaper than the DK price, but as an alternative and much cheaper (as well as actually within reach of your electronics standing) idea, consider hacking a Sharp sensor and angle the detector a bit to get a larger range - and replace the LED with a LASER.
Btw. What kind of range do you need? (not want, but need, like...
I want a car with 1000 HP, but I need a car able to get me from A to B in crowded streets).The Sharp comes in several flavours, up to 5m IIRC and you only need that distance if you go fairly fast.
