Maker Reflect

Maker Reflect is an IR reflectance sensor module designed for reliable surface reflectivity detection in compact electronic and robotics applications. Both MAKER-REFLECT and MAKER-REFLECT-S provide an analog voltage output that varies according to the amount of infrared light reflected from a surface, enabling accurate detection of light and dark contrasts.

The sensor operates by emitting infrared light toward a target surface and measuring the reflected signal. Surfaces with higher reflectivity produce lower output voltage, while darker or less reflective surfaces result in higher output voltage. This continuous analog output allows precise interpretation of surface characteristics and supports software-based thresholding, calibration, and proportional control.

Maker Reflect is optimized for close-range operation, with an optimal sensing distance of approximately 3 mm, making it suitable for applications requiring consistent and repeatable readings on flat surfaces. When mounted at the recommended distance, the sensor can reliably differentiate between contrasting surfaces such as black and white lines, printed tracks, or boundary edges. This sensor is typically used in line-following robots, as white surfaces reflect more IR light than black surfaces. However, it is not limited to line-following; there are many other applications that can utilize the Maker Reflect. For example, it can be used as an edge/border sensor in Sumo robots, a wall sensor in maze-solving robots, a short-distance object detector (presence sensor), or a sensor for a rotary wheel encoder, among others.