Ultrasonic Distance Measurement
Eliana Lopez Kevin Yepez
Mechatronic Engineering
Northern Technical University
Ibarra, Ecuador
Email: elianalopez.eals@gmail.com
AbstractUltrasonic sensors are widely used in the distance
measurement. In practice, there is a major problem for
the measurement resolution, the ability to distinguish different
targets. The ultrasonic distance measurement is an effective, non-
invasive method that can be used in a variety of environments
that can be prone to changes where is difficult to locate an
object. Ultrasonic sensors cover a wide range of application
situations, for example industrial automation, medical and
automotive applications. In this paper various implementations
and configurations based on ultrasonic sensors for measurement,
detection and positioning systems of different objects, as well
as the resolution and the evolution of these sensors are presented.
February 26, 2016
I. I NTRODUCTION
The sound is caused by vibrations of a sound body, that
propagate through a medium which may be liquid, gaseous
or solid. Ultrasounds are above all sound, except they have a
higher frequency than the highest audible by the human ear,
which begins about 10 Hz and has an upper limit of about 20
Khz [1].
Fig. 1. Sound range
The ultrasonic frequency of 40 kHz is the best that
spread in the air, commonly used in ultrasonic sensors. The
operation of these sensors is based on the emission and
reflection of acoustic waves between a transmitter and a
receiver object, evaluating the time it takes to move the sound.
The speed of the ultrasonic sensors is limited by the
maximum frequency of pulse repetition, which can range
between 1 and 25 Hz, are generally available in the form of
sensors direct reflection, where transmitter and receiver are
in the same body, furthermore others have barriers having the
ultrasonic transmitter and receiver in separate bodies.
Mechatronic Engineering
Northern Technical University
Ibarra, Ecuador
Email: paulye203@hotmail.com
The action field pulse that is emitted from an ultrasound
transducer has a conical shape. The echo is received in
response to sound reflection it indicates the presence of the
nearest object is within the sound cone and does not specify
any time the angular location thereof. Although the maximum
likelihood is that the object detected is on the central axis
of the acoustic cone, the probability that the echo has been
produced by an object present in the periphery of the central
axis is not negligible and must be taken into account and
suitably treated.
II. ULTRASONIC DISTANCE MEASUREMENT FOR
AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
Ultrasonic distance measurements are influenced mainly
by the surface of an object and less affected by the material
of the object. Ultrasonic systems can not provide information
about the object, as they can only identify the presence of a
reflective surface.
Compared to ultrasonic sensors, capacitive sensing
technology offers the advantage of a volumetric measuring
principle can also be used to detect short and this technique
allows the detection and classification of objects. In
combination with ultrasonic sensors, this can be exploited to
design an improved system for measuring distance, providing
the possibility of classifying the object.
For applications for aid parking and pedestrian safety, the
Electronic Control Unit requires accurate information about
the type and position of an object approaching. Based on this
information, the Electronic Control Unit can trigger a series
of security measures in case of accident.
a system sensor fusion based on ultrasonic and capacitive
sensors which comprises basically a central computer to
analyze the measurement data and control sensor devices is
presented. Capacitive unit based on Analog Devices AD7143
IC one is connected to a microcontroller board and electrodes.
Ultrasonic sensors are controlled by an electronic control
unit, which establishes the connection to the host computer.
Experimental research shows the benefits of this approach.
detection gapless of an approaching object is allowed up to
2 m. The extended Kalman filter algorithm developed with
a classification allows to distinguish between different kinds
of objects approaching. An improvement in the estimation
of distance for shorter distances achieved by using Gaussian
processes for regression and Kalman filter with maximum
likelihood estimator. Moreover, investigations were carried
out successfully in a car bumper demonstrating the ease of
use in automotive applications.
III. ULTRASONIC DISTANCE MEASUREMENT FOR
METALLIC MATERIALS
For the measurement of metal materials, non-invasively they
have been developed equipment to differentiate thicknesses
by using an ultrasonic transducer, and this can generate an
ultrasonic pulse into the material as to receive back once
bounces against the opposite face of the piece. A new strategy
is proposed to measure the gap between the emitted and
received signal by a voltage converter phase shift, much less
sensitive to noise than the traditional measure the flight time
by detecting the zero crossing.
This method is used to measure the time it takes an ultra-
sonic wave in and out of a solid object, as when encountering
an exterior bottom surface, a percentage of the reflected wave.
A portion of this reflected wave is called echo. This is the
wave that is ultimately recorded by the receiver. The thickness
of the piece is determined by measuring the time the wave took
to get to and from an extreme to the other, taking into account
the speed of sound propagation within the analyzed material.
Fig. 2. Pulse echo method. An initial signal has a small echo reflection.
From this method is defined as the thickness of a material is
the product between the speed of propagation of the ultrasonic
wave in the material and half the time it is transmitted.
IV. ULTRASONIC DISTANCE MEASUREMENT FOR
POSITIONING APPLICATIONS
The problem of mobility of persons with disabilities is
similar and have common problems in mobile robotics,
positioning techniques currently being used and developed
guidance for people with disabilities.
Localization is the process of determining the position
and orientation of a mobile in the environment. These
data together with the own mobile kinematic variables, are
the gateway to all guidance system. Accuracy, speed and
reliability of your data condition of the entire navigation
system. Control and processing of such data must be
carried by some sort of system of control, based on sensory
information and actuators comply with the proposed missions.
Inertial systems for locating, using gyroscopes and
accelerometers for determining the velocity and acceleration
respectively. The position is obtained through integration
in the case of the gyroscopes and two integrations in the
case of accelerometers. Compasses for determining absolute
guidelines and are based on different physical phenomena
related to magnetism to measure the Earths magnetic
field, but that field is distorted by metal lines and power
transmission which impairs their use in interior structures.
Currently, the most widely used methods in robotics are
the absolute location by geometric methods. The position is
calculated from distance measurement (trisection) or guidance
(triangulation) on a set of reference marks arranged on the
environment. These marks can be active or passive, optical,
ultrasonic or other, must remain a number of them within the
sensing field.
The ultrasonic locator system developed for mobile
robots has a configuration formed by pingers located at
known positions on the environment and an omnidirectional
receiver on board the robot. Whereas the knowledge needs
of the position and orientation are only on the plane,
the location can be reduced to two dimensions, that is to
say to know the coordinates x, y of the vehicle and orientation.
Through trisection the coordinates of both receptors are
determined. Being two-dimensional location univocal three
measures of distance noncollinear reference issuers are re-
quired. The coordinates x, y are determined by the intersection
of the three circles defined by the distances and coordinates of
the fixed points, for a univocal location 3D (three dimensional)
non-coplanar to four measures fixed points are required.
Fig. 3. Trisection 2-D. Circumferences are places geometric points equal
distance di from Mobile to the beacons, and their intersection provides the
location of the 2-D mobile.
 Ultrasonic location system consists of a set of ultrasonic
emitters placed in fixed positions and known in the
environment in which the motor will develop its activity or
visually impaired. The disabled or the vehicle on which he
moves, will carry the two receivers. The timing necessary
for measurement of flight time of the ultrasound from
the emitters to the receivers is obtained by radio. In this
system the distances for the trisection are calculated by
measuring the propagation time of ultrasonic waves. Each
transmitter is located in known coordinates and receivers
on board the vehicle. For processing signals on board the
vehicle a microcontroller module is housed. This, through
a radio channel commands the emission of the various
lamps according to a strategy, makes measurements of
time and temperature, digitizes the envelope of the echo
signal, applying correction algorithms measurement and
communicates these data to the computer on board. The basic
problem in measuring the propagation time is accurately
determine the arrival time of the ultrasound wave.

V. C ONCLUSION
The conclusion goes here.
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