Question about lawn-detect sensor (capasitance)

[Pauli]

Dear all!

I am making my own version of robot-mower.

I am having trouble of lawn-detect sensor. I made initial prototype with 16mm M6 washer, but it was unable to differentiate my rocky-path and grass at some centimeter distance.

The construction was similar as in wiki . The wiki has quite little details about the sensor, and i am here to ask did it work? Well enough? At what distance? At what radius of the copper plate? Other comments or tips when trying to build such thing?

Thanks in advance! The Ardumower has been great resource when figuring out design solutions for my own 'thing',


Cheers,
Pauli

 

[Pauli]

For the record, here is the settings that is not working very well. The "conduct plate" is in this variant cutted from coka-cola-can.