How Ultrasonic Sensors Work

Ultrasonic sensors work by sending out a sound wave at a frequency above the range of human hearing.  

The transducer of the sensor acts as a microphone to receive and transmitter to send the ultrasonic sound. 

Our ultrasonic sensors, like many others, use a single transducer to send a pulse and to receive the echo.  The sensor determines the distance to a target by measuring time lapses between the sending and receiving of the ultrasonic pulse.

Why Use an Ultrasonic Sensor?

Ultrasound is reliable in any lighting environment and can be used inside or outside. Ultrasonic sensors can handle collision avoidance for a robot, and being moved often, as long as it isn’t too fast.

Ultrasonic sensors are so widely used, they can be reliably implemented in grain bin sensing applications, water level sensing, drone applications and sensing cars at your local drive-thru restaurant or bank.

Ultrasonic rangefinders are commonly used as devices to detect a collision.


Ultrasonic Sensors are best used in the non-contact detection of:

• Presence
• Level
• Position
• Distance

Non-contact sensors are also referred to as proximity sensors.

Ultrasonic Sensors Operate Independent of:

• Light
• Smoke
• Dust
• Color
• Material (except for soft surfaces, i.e. wool, because the surface absorbs the ultrasonic sound wave and doesn’t reflect sound.)
  
  
  Long range detection of targets with varied surface properties.