RangeSensor< T > Class Template Reference

Generic range sensor abstraction for LIDAR, ultrasonic, or similar sensors. More...

#include <RangeSensor.h>

Inheritance diagram for RangeSensor< T >:

Collaboration diagram for RangeSensor< T >:

Public Member Functions
	RangeSensor (const Transform2D &tf, float obstacleDegree=0)
	RangeSensor (float obstacleDegree=0)
bool	begin ()
	Start the sensor (e.g., initialize hardware)
void	update (float angleDeg, float distanceM)
	Update the sensor with angle (deg) and distance (m)
void	update (Angle angle, Distance distance)
	Update the sensor with angle and distance objects.
void	end ()
	Stop the sensor.
void	setObstacleDirectionDegree (float deg)
	Defines the angle to the obstacle in degrees: 0 means forward.
void	setObstacleDirection (Angle angle)
	Set the obstacle direction using an Angle object.
float	getObstacleDirectionDegree () const
bool	setObstacleDistance (Distance dist)
bool	setObstacleDistance (float distanceM)
void	setObstacleAlertAngle (Angle deg)
	Set the alert angle threshold for obstacle detection.
void	setObstacleAlertDistance (Distance dist)
	Set the alert distance threshold for obstacle detection.
float	getObstacleDistance () const
void	setObstacle (float degree, float distance)
	Convenience method to set both the obstacle bearing and distance at once.
void	setTransform (const Transform2D &tf)
	Set the sensor-to-world transform.
bool	getObstacleCoordinate (Coordinate< T > &result)
	operator bool () const
	Check if the sensor reading is valid (distance > 0)
bool	hasObstacle () const
	Return true if there is an obstacle detected (distance > 0)
float	getSpeedFactor (Distance breakingDistance) const
	Compute a speed factor (0.0 to 1.0) based on the distance to the obstacle.
Public Member Functions inherited from MessageSource
void	subscribe (MessageHandler &handler, MessageOrigin origin=MessageOrigin::Undefined, MessageContent content=MessageContent::Undefined)
	Subscribe a message handler to this source, with optional filtering.
void	unsubscribeAll ()
	Remove all registered message handlers.
void	sendMessage (Message< float > &msg)
	Publish a message to all registered handlers.
void	sendMessage (const Message< Coordinate< float > > &msg)
	Publish a message to all registered handlers.
void	sendMessage (const Message< GPSCoordinate > &msg)
	Publish a message to all registered handlers.
void	sendMessage (const Message< MotionState3D > &msg)
	Overload for MotionState3D messages.

Protected Attributes
float	obstacle_deg_ = 0
float	distanceM = 0
Transform2D	lidar_to_world_tf
bool	has_transform_ = false
bool	is_active_ = false
float	alertAngleDeg_ = 5
float	alertDistanceM_ = 1.0f
Protected Attributes inherited from MessageSource
std::vector< MessageHandlerEntry >	messageHandlers_

Detailed Description

template<typename T = DistanceM>
class tinyrobotics::RangeSensor< T >

Generic range sensor abstraction for LIDAR, ultrasonic, or similar sensors.

This template class models a simple range sensor, such as a LIDAR or ultrasonic sensor, for robotics applications. It tracks the measured distance to an obstacle, the angle (bearing) of the obstacle relative to the sensor, and the transform from the sensor's local frame to the world frame. The class provides methods to set and retrieve the measured distance and bearing, update the sensor-to-world transform, and compute the world-frame coordinates of detected obstacles.

Features

• Supports any distance unit via template parameter (default: meters)
• Publishes distance, angle, and obstacle position as messages (for integration with messaging framework)
• Computes obstacle coordinates in the world frame using a 2D transform
• Validity checks for sensor readings (distance > 0)
• Can be used for navigation, mapping, and obstacle avoidance

Usage Example

Transform2D tf = ...; // Sensor-to-world transform
RangeSensor<> sensor(tf, 0.0f); // 0 degrees = forward
sensor.begin();
sensor.setObstacleDistance(1.5f); // Set measured distance
if (sensor) {
  Coordinate<DistanceM> obs;
  if (sensor.getObstacleCoordinate(obs)) {
    // Use obs for navigation
  }
}

Template Parameters

Template Parameters

T	Distance type (default: DistanceM)

Methods

• setObstacleDirectionDegree(deg): Set obstacle bearing in degrees
• setObstacleDistance(distance): Set measured distance
• setObstacle(degree, distance): Set both bearing and distance
• setTransform(tf): Set sensor-to-world transform
• getObstacleCoordinate(result): Compute world-frame obstacle coordinate
• hasObstacle(): True if a valid obstacle is detected

Applications

• LIDAR, ultrasonic, or IR range sensing
• Robot navigation and mapping
• Obstacle detection and avoidance

Author

Phil Schatzmann

Member Function Documentation

getObstacleCoordinate()

bool getObstacleCoordinate ( Coordinate< T > &  result )

inline

Get the obstacle coordinate in world frame based on the current distance and transform.

getObstacleDirectionDegree()

float getObstacleDirectionDegree ( ) const

inline

Get the angle of the obstacle relative to the sensor's forward direction in degrees.

getObstacleDistance()

float getObstacleDistance ( ) const

inline

Provide the distance measured by the sensor. In a real implementation, this would

setObstacleDistance() [1/2]

bool setObstacleDistance ( Distance  dist )

inline

Set the distance measured by the sensor. Make sure that the ObstacleDegree is defined

setObstacleDistance() [2/2]

bool setObstacleDistance ( float  distanceM )

inline

Set the distance measured by the sensor. Make sure that the ObstacleDegree is defined

---

The documentation for this class was generated from the following file:

• src/TinyRobotics/sensors/RangeSensor.h