An ultrasonic sensor for distance measurement in automotive applications

This paper describes an ultrasonic sensor that is able to measure the distance from the ground of selected points of a motor vehicle. The sensor is based on the measurement of the time of flight of an ultrasonic pulse, which is reflected by the ground. A constrained optimization technique is employed to obtain reflected pulses that are easily detectable by means of a threshold comparator. Such a technique, which takes the frequency response of the ultrasonic transducers into account, allows a sub-wavelength detection to be obtained. Experimental tests, performed with a 40 kHz piezoelectric-transducer based sensor, showed a standard uncertainty of 1 mm at rest or at low speeds; the sensor still works at speeds of up to 30 m/s, although at higher uncertainty. The sensor is composed of only low cost components, thus being apt for first car equipment in many cases, and is able to self-adapt to different conditions in order to give the best results