Before delving into the specifics of color sensors, let’s briefly discuss the concept of color. Color is an integral part of life and is present in every object and phenomenon. As a visual effect, color is generated through perceptions facilitated by concepts like robots in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.
What is a Color Sensor?
A sensor is a device that works with subsystems such as a computer processor, device, machine, or module to detect events or changes in the environment and send this information to other electronic devices. Colors are also studied within the realm of space. A color sensor working with the RGB color space, which is a simple and practical color space, aims to achieve color values through the combination of primary colors—Red, Green, and Blue. The process of evaluating the light reflected from an object is also part of the visual process.
To provide a comprehensive definition, a color sensor is a device that detects high-level colors, illuminates objects to be inspected, determines the color value ratios from the reflected light, and compares these with pre-recorded color values. This explanation provides a straightforward answer to the question: What is a color sensor?
How Does a Color Sensor Work?
A color sensor operates based on a specific principle. For the sensor to detect reflected light, the light must first strike the object. The sensor then evaluates and compares the reflected light. The determining factors in this process are the intensity of the red, green, and blue values.
For example, consider a simple RGB color sensor. For those not wishing to delve into complex details, it is recommended to use industrial products or color sensors that provide cleaner results at a lower cost.
How Does a Color Sensor Function?
To operate a color sensor, it is necessary to obtain different values. This involves using a sensor with filters or without filters, which includes four photodetectors for red, green, and blue.
This type of color sensor will yield four different values for each color. The process takes only about four seconds to complete. Following this, S2 and S3 pins are used to make photodiode selections.
For example, when S2 is set to L and S3 is set to L, the photodiode type will be red. When S2 is L and S3 is H, the photodiode type will be blue. To have the photodiode type as white without a filter, S2 must be H and S3 L. Finally, if both S2 and S3 are set to H, the photodiode type will be green.
To achieve the desired color filter, the output frequency of the color sensor’s S0 and S1 pins must also be adjusted. This task is managed by the color sensor.
Color filtering occurs at each step. To obtain the result, the red, green, and blue data are evaluated. Each color has three fundamental color ratios. These values are obtained from a system known as OUT. Values from this system may initially seem abstract.
You will notice that the meaningful values range simply between 0 and 255. In the RGB color space, a value of 0 represents black. If all filters have a value of 255 instead of 0, it will represent white. The value 255-0-0 will represent red.
While color sensors may not perform as accurately as the human eye, they provide reliable results within their domain. It is a definite technological outcome that machines have a more consistent relationship with colors compared to humans.
Applications of Color Sensors
Color sensors have several primary applications, including in the automotive industry, packaging, electronics manufacturing, printing, paper industry, and semiconductor material usage.