NOTE: This item is not available outside the Texas A&M University network. Texas A&M affiliated users who are off campus can access the item through NetID and password authentication or by using TAMU VPN. Non-affiliated individuals should request a copy through their local library's interlibrary loan service.
Radiation interchange modeling for active infrared proximity sensor design
Abstract
The objective of this research was to create mathematical models suitable for use in the design and operation of active optical proximity sensors based on infrared optoelectronic components. Computer simulation using Monte Carlo techniques, and based on principles from the field of radiometry, was used to model the optical interaction occurring in selected sensor applications. The data from these simulations were then used to create models relating sensor data to environmental parameters. This research focuses on information gathered using active optical proximity sensors in the reflectance sensing mode. The portion of energy reflected to a given sensor in combination with the known location of the source and sensor elements provide the basic information used to evaluate the target characteristics. Simulation studies were conducted to examine the effects of varying target reflectance, size, and position using a spherical target, and the effect of varying angle was examined using a cylindrical target. The targets were simulated as having uniform surface properties irrespective of radiation spectrum, being perfect reflectors, and varying in only one aspect for a given study. Analysis began with graphical examination of trends from both the perspective of an individual sensor over multiple data points and over all sensors for an individual data point. In the reflectance, size, and angle studies the target parameters were related to the sensor data by individual sensor using least squares polynomial curve fitting. Subsequently, the effect of distance between source and sensor was incorporated by applying nonlinear polynomial curve fitting to the coefficients of the individual sensor polynomial fit equations to form an overall composite equation fit for each study. In the position study algorithmic approaches were applied to the determination of target location using data from multiple sensors. The primary findings suggest that a single source and sensor may be adequate for determination of target reflectance, size, position, or angle provided only one degree of freedom exists in the problem presented. Determination of position in three dimensional space or more than one target characteristic requires assessment of multiple unknowns, thereby necessitating the use of multiple source elements, sensor elements, or both.
Description
Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to digital@library.tamu.edu, referencing the URI of the item.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-80).
Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.
Collections
Citation
Piper, James Clarice (1999). Radiation interchange modeling for active infrared proximity sensor design. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1999 -THESIS -P57.
Request Open Access
This item and its contents are restricted. If this is your thesis or dissertation, you can make it open-access. This will allow all visitors to view the contents of the thesis.