What type of sensor does this faucet use?

[Pyrus]

This photo attached is an automatic tap. It doesn't seem to have Infrared sensor. Then, which type of sensor is it... Just wondering :p

 

[DrClaude]

It doesn't seem to have Infrared sensor.

Why do you say that? See that black window at the bottom of the faucet?

 

[Pyrus]

Because that black thing doesn't seem glass like but has rough plastic like texture...

 

[berkeman]

Because that black thing doesn't seem glass like but has rough plastic like texture...

Use your cellphone to look at the window. You can see near IR with most cellphone cameras...

 

[berkeman]

Use your cellphone to look at the window. You can see near IR with most cellphone cameras...

Well, except that it probably is a PIR (passive IR sensor), so it won't be putting out any IR of its own.

Maybe wave a cold rod in front of it, versus a hot rod to see if you can tell that it's sensing IR...

 

[CWatters]

Could be that the rough texture is deliberate. Most passive IR sensors have a grid like lens so that the sensitivity of the sensor isn't uniform over it's field of view. This increases the amplitude fluctuations that the sensor receives when there is movement.

http://www.blunet.net.cn/uploads/Sensor-Detector/PIR-Sensor/wall-mounted-occupancy-sensor.gif

 

[berkeman]

Maybe wave a cold rod in front of it, versus a hot rod to see if you can tell that it's sensing IR..

Duh, I'm a little slow sometimes...

Just take your IR Remote Control for your TV, and hold it in front of the faucet (but out of the path of the water). Wait for the faucet to shut off if your movement turned it on, and then push a button on the control without moving your hand or the control. If the faucet turns on, it's using a PIR sensor. You can even try backing up a ways to see how far away from it you can get and still operate the faucet with your IR Remote Control.

And just for completeness, you can use your cellphone camera viewer to see the IR transmissions coming out of the Remote Control when you push a button...