Week 7-Movement Sensors

Movement sensors are a technology which is already utilized in today’s world of buildings. As Teddy Bruder pointed out in his post, passive infrared detectors are used to automatically light rooms when there are people inside. The light will remain on as long as one person is inside the room due to the sensor’s ability to detect movement and the human heat signature. Some of my classrooms in high school had simple movement sensors attached and angled to view the entire room. They usually worked properly as long as someone was moving around, but if the entire classroom sat still for long enough the lights would turn off.

Another example of motion sensors include the automatic sensors in bathroom toilets and urinals which flush automatically after sensing the user back away. These utilities need to be calibrated well, or else someone could get spashed!

Shopping centers use movement detection devices in their entrances and exits, most of these sensors use radar and send out the high frequency sound waves and listen for the bounce back. A bounce back with a different frequency means that an object has just moved into the line of sight of the sensor, which is then followed shortly by the door opening.  Not only is an automatic door convenient, but they are also safer for the handicapped, elderly, or anyone carrying packages or heavy items. This same application of movement sensors can also be applied to flood and porch lights used in homes, as detection in movement will cause the lights to turn on. These sensors and lights are also connected to a timer if used in conjunction with an alarm system. There are a handful of reasons to use these sensors to trip lights: to deter criminal behavior, energy efficiency in case you have kids that don’t turn off the lights, and sometimes it may help you find your keys as you walk up to your door in the dark.

Reference:

Furnish , Tim. "Motion Sensors." illumin. XV.1 (2014): n. page. Web. 17 Feb. 2014. <http://illumin.usc.edu/printer/165/motion-sensors/>.

Comments on other Posts:

Dave Barbalace's Post:

Great post! Moisture can really destroy pieces of artwork, especially if the work is kept in a small and tight space. A few years ago I was in a class that conducted an experiment to see how moisture affected paper and canvas. Two identical canvas frames were placed in two areas, one in a drying room for other pieces of artwork and the other was placed outside in the shade. After a month, the canvas which was kept outside had some nice mold and had a compromised structure.

Brian Benson's Post:

Very nice post! HVAC systems can fall in performance and the flow sensors are a fantastic way of keeping their power in check. I'm glad there are ways to keep the temperature and flow of the HVAC systems running smoothly.