close range sensor

please don't multi-post. If you don't know what that means, look it up.

*IF* this question belongs on more than one newsgroup, then you should cross post it.

Bob

You didn't mention what type of measurement You prefer: contactless or contact sensor. For contact sensors you have variety of mechanical "potentiometer like" measurements, or optoelectrical(less noisy cause it gives digital output). For contactless the only which I know of to be reliable is laser.But for such short distance it's very expensive. Ultra sound however is also one choise, but it depends on measuring environemnt because sound wave is "catches up" all around.

I'm pretty interested how would it work with accelerometer. This is a cheapest solution.

robert

Problem with laser is how to aim to the target you want trace, you have to position the target first.

I'll google them.

I did not state that clearly enough.

I think I need some remote sensing device. The host can sense the target in term of position/speed. The range between the host and the sensed target is less than half meter. The resulution should be in term of centimeter. Is that possible? A normal video camera can do the job, too much information has to exclueded to trace my target. I just think there should be some cheaper alternative.

Duct tape a mouse to the target? ;-)

Dave