This year, my team is looking to use the Sharp GP2Y0A21YK0F IR distance sensor for detecting distance from the cargo pod. We want to get data points that reflect our use case, in order to fit a function to them. Does the color & material of the targeted object affect distance readings for the sensor?
Yes. Imagine using a flashlight instead of IR: Will a flat black surface reflect enough, versus a white surface? IR is light, so reflectivity definitely is an influence. How much? I suggest you determine that experimentally.
But this only affects whether you GET a reading or not. If you get a reading, the surface* won’t **affect the accuracy of the reading.
*What you’ll encounter in FRC at least.
**Not by enough to matter.
Thank you for your help! We’ll make sure that the IR sensor gets a reading from the material for the Cargo ship.