Digital Distance Sensor, 15cm by Pololu

This compact sensor offers a straightforward method to detect objects up to 15 cm (6 inches) away. When enabled, it continually measures distances and uses a single digital output to signal if an object is within its detection range. The output goes low when an object is detected, otherwise it's high. Infrared light emitted by the sensor, which is eye-safe and invisible to the naked eye, can be seen through a camera without an IR filter. Note that this sensor only indicates the presence of an object along its line of sight, not the exact distance. It has hysteresis at the maximum range threshold for a clean transition as objects pass by. The sensor can detect objects as close as about 5 mm from its face. Unlike simpler optical sensors, this one uses a short-range lidar module to measure the time it takes for infrared laser light pulses to reach and reflect off the nearest object. This makes its performance largely independent of object reflectivity and ambient lighting conditions, though range can be reduced for extremely low-reflectance objects.

• Power Input: 3.0 V to 5.5 V
• Power Usage: 30 mA (typical) when active, 0.4 mA when idle
• Detection Range: Up to 15 cm (6 inches)
• Closest Detection: Less than 5 mm
• Measurement Frequency: 95 Hz (10.6 ms interval)
• Viewing Angle: 15° typically; varies with object reflectivity and ambient conditions
• Light Source: Eye-safe, 940 nm invisible Class 1 VCSEL
• Signal Output: Digital (low when detecting object, high otherwise)
• Device Weight: 0.015 oz (0.4 g)