VL53L7CX - Can it detect glass walls?

[steve-kim-pff]

Hello,

I was unsure if the VL53L7CX would be able to detect glass walls. Often ToF sensors are unable to as light passes through the glass, but was curious that the non-zero reflectance of glass (usually <10% but still nonzero) allows VL53L7CX to detect glass walls successfully.

Thanks in advance!

[AlexCloned]

Yes, it is possible to detect glass if you position the TOF sensor in front of the glass so that the laser hits at angles close to 90 degrees. Since glass is not 100% transparent at 940 nm, you can expect to receive photons back on the sensor, reflected from the glass, and this distance should be well detected. There are a few factors to consider. The background or objects behind the glass should be at least 60 cm away; otherwise, the sensor may have difficulty distinguishing between the background and the glass. At a small enough angle of incidence (total reflection), the glass will act as a mirror, and there won't be photon reflections suitable for accurate measurements. It's very important to set the "Number of Targets" parameter to 2 and conduct numerous tests under carefully controlled conditions to interpret the results and assess the feasibility of your objective.