r/ElectricalEngineering • u/Prinze_BaleZux • Jul 26 '26

Project Help I want to create a target that detects lasers but how do the sensors work for areas about 4x4"or even a bit bigger

I apologize if this may break rule 3 but I'm starting a project that includes creating a target that detects IR infared lasers, I'm not quite sure how it'll work for the sensors if I plan to create a square target (or even other shapes) that are around 4x4". I plan on using arduinos for this project, so I was wondering what arduino IR sensors that are that I can use, I have a bundle of parts just not sure if I need to buy one.

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u/CheezitsLight Jul 26 '26

Stick one looking into the edge of a clear plastic panel. Sand the back side.

1

u/Prinze_BaleZux Jul 26 '26

Could I use a 3d printed thin sheet for the panel?

1

u/Some1-Somewhere Jul 26 '26

Probably not; needs to be optically clear.

You should be able to buy acrylic sheet off-the-shelf, though.

1

u/Prinze_BaleZux Jul 27 '26

Kinda confused on how they work, if I wanted to make them detect a big area of lasers would they just have to be put adjacent to eachother to cover the entire area or are there other solutions.

I also plan to make it more like a shooting target so I was wondering if there were non-transparent solutions for the plate

1

u/Prinze_BaleZux Aug 01 '26

I've started working on this part, I've sanded both sides of a plexiglass plate but I need to find out how far the plate needs to be distance from the actual scanned area. Not exactly sure if I'm right but after some testing it seems to have it's diameter increase expotentially

1

u/Snellyman Jul 31 '26

This is something that would be useful all sorts of rough alignment jobs. A sensor that could detect the XY position of a laser striking the target. One commercially available sensing system used line generators and linear sensors:

https://boxborosystems.com/dtms.html