I'm building a 20cm x 20cm table that is divided into cells, it has 4 rows and 4 columns.
There will be different external blocks that have numbers, each block can stand on a single cell, each block has different number.
each cell on the table should be able to detect and recognize different blocks, so that i could know which block on which cell …
The problem is, what technique can I ably inside the table/matrix to detect and identify these blocks so that, for instance, i know that the block with the number 5 is on the 3rd cell.
I'm thinking of NFC technology where each cell will has NFC reader and inside each block will be NFC tag but it's not practical due to the size and cost of the reader. any suggestions (it could be wired or wireless technique )?
Thank you in advance,
Best Answer
If you have the possibility of walls or the detection on the ground, every block would know where it is. So the only thing left is a wireless communication; with radio or visual (laser, blinking led, infrared).
If not here some ideas to track the other cubes:
I think the best are Ultrasonic Sensors, there is a cheap one for the Arduino board. Ultrasonic Sensors normally have a Trigger Pin and an 'Answer' Pin. The Time between Trigger and Answer is proportional to the distance and under 10ms for a small board (<1m), so in a while with delays the distance can be measured easy with a convenient microcontroller. The problem here is that your boxes need openings for the sensors (2 holes for each).