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Basically, I am trying to design a modernised boule game whereby the tossed boule can automatically measure its distance from the jack via ultrasonic sensors positioned within the tossed boule, with the exact distance displayed on an LCD. There will be enough sensors such that at least one sensor will be correctly oriented towards the jack after the boule is thrown.

The issue is, am I able to ensure, using any means, that the sensors only measure the distance between themselves and the jack, and not the other tossed boules which will be strewn about the playing field? It should also be considered that the jack and all other tossed boules can move at anytime due to collisions. I have had several thoughts including colour sensors where the jack is made a specific colour, and RFID readers and tags in which the tag is positioned in the jack, however I am unsure of the feasibility of any of these, nor the know-how to implement them to work with the ultrasonic sensors.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Bats can do that ;-) I'm not an expert, like bats, but maybe would be posible to send the ultrasonic signal from the jack and receive it in the boule (or the other way round), instead of relying in the rebound. And somehow send another signal for synchronization, maybe RF, to be able to calculate the time difference and distance. Or use GPS time and precision clock. I don't know if this would work and how accurate would be. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 19, 2023 at 18:34
  • \$\begingroup\$ Or without sync, send a signal in one direction and then a response back. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 19, 2023 at 18:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ I've played Petanque. I imagine that an in-boule transmission would be immensely difficult to implement well AND that adding optical slits (mentioned I think in the other question) or windows would b acceptably non standard for purists. || Even adding a US trnamitter in a boule makes it non standard and insertion and removal and powering are prob;ematic. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Mar 3, 2024 at 9:38
  • \$\begingroup\$ @RussellMcMahon I came to realise that and since scrapped the ultrasonic in favour of ultra-wideband technology, which is proving to be feasible. There will be a lot of hoops and head-to-wall bashing to come, that I'm sure of. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Mar 3, 2024 at 10:14

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Probably not. Ultrasonic sensors are good for things like "how far am I away from this brick wall". They need big flat surfaces to get a good rebound from and a strong signal. Things like parking sensors, or low altitude drone measurements. I think trying to measure boules would be very unlikely to yield a good result.
Ir sensors would be better at this sort of thing, but they have a much narrower field of view, and while they would be capable of taking such a measurement it would be difficult to ensure one was pointing at the jack.

Similarly, a Lidar would have a good chance of making this kind of measurement, and you could possibly infer from the size of the object measured weather or not it was the jack. The practicalities and cost of installing a lidar into a boule is something I would consider... non-trivial; but that's the best technology I can think of for "on boule" measurements.

I think this is probably an application for computer vision. It should be very easy for a computer, as this is basically just tracking three balls, and effectively in 2D so getting good measurements should be possible with just one camera. The better the camera, the more finely you'll be able to measure.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Would you be able to provide additional information on achieving a LIDAR approach in such a way that only the jack is measured? Perhaps you may also be able to recommend a specific model. Failing that, could the same, I suppose, specific object recognition and measurment be achieved with IR? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 21, 2023 at 10:26
  • \$\begingroup\$ I was assuming that the jack was smaller than the boules, thus a sufficiently accurate and precise Lidar could (might) be able to detect the smaller object and call it the jack. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 21, 2023 at 15:07
  • \$\begingroup\$ You just can't measure the distance to the jack from a boule (i.e. within the plane) unequivocally as there could be another boule (or several) in between.So either one measures from the jack and has some way to recognise boules, or it must indeed be done from outside the plane (ideally, with a camera pointing straight down, placed right above the jack, to avoid parallax issues). \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 24, 2023 at 13:25
  • \$\begingroup\$ @jcaron The issue with measuring from the jack is that it's small, so I'd have a difficult time fitting everything in the space available and not a lot of additional room for required shock absorbing material to protect the electronics. The idea is to have the boules do it on their own without a an outside camera, as that technology already exists. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Dec 27, 2023 at 6:03

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