Looking for an outdoor proximity sensor

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Looking for an outdoor proximity sensor

Kookoo

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#324798 27-May-2026 15:55

Has anyone seen a battery powered proximity sensor I could mount outdoors?

Our new place has a really tight "carport" (in quotations because I'm hesitant to call it that) so I keep banging the car into walls and corners when getting in and out. The car is pretty old and doesn't have parking sensors, and it's reverse camera is barely functional. It isn't worth spending a thousand dollars putting parking sensors in. The additional scuffs and scratches are annoying though so I'm looking for a solution - something that would flash or beep really loudly if I was to get closer than 10cm to it.

I've tried Jaycar and Aliexpress - couldn't find anything there quite like what I'm after.

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#3495914 27-May-2026 16:37

How about the old tennis ball hanging from a string trick? When it hits the rear window, you've gone far enough.

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wellygary

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#3495918 27-May-2026 17:03

Also look at sticking some foam on the bits of the wall you keep bumping into,

You can also use bricks or wood on the floor to provide you with a "curb" for the wheels to hit before you hit a wall

If you want to go a sensor route, you could look at some form of Arduino build

https://www.jaycar.co.nz/arduino-compatible-dual-ultrasonic-sensor-module/p/XC4442?srsltid=AfmBOorrzPXxXYSpE4sho32mETPEmXde13WQKIdB35tnbX3JUr979mgL

johno1234

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#3495926 27-May-2026 17:53

wellygary:

Also look at sticking some foam on the bits of the wall you keep bumping into,

You can also use bricks or wood on the floor to provide you with a "curb" for the wheels to hit before you hit a wall

If you want to go a sensor route, you could look at some form of Arduino build

https://www.jaycar.co.nz/arduino-compatible-dual-ultrasonic-sensor-module/p/XC4442?srsltid=AfmBOorrzPXxXYSpE4sho32mETPEmXde13WQKIdB35tnbX3JUr979mgL

... with a nice big seven segment display on the wall with the distance.

RunningMan

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#3495929 27-May-2026 18:35

How about this?

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/car-parts-accessories/other-accessories/listing/5949371821

Gordy7

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#3495982 27-May-2026 19:21

Sounds like you have several possible points of contact.

Looks like you may be in for a bit of DIY.

I would be looking for some sort of pneumatic tube wall collision sensors to initially prevent scuffing and with more pressure to operate an LED or buzzer.

Adapting road pneumatic tube sensors might be a starting point.

Further... a more passive option... a tube with a whistle at one end.

Good luck.

Gordy

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Talkiet

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#3495989 27-May-2026 19:58

I couldn't find one when I looked either - so I knocked this up in literally an evening... (Pre-AI)

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Kookoo

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#3496001 27-May-2026 21:37

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. One of the constraints here is the power source - I really don't want to deal with adding an outdoor power outlet just for this. I figured the best way to explain what's happening is a diagram. MS Paint to the rescue. So far I've managed to:

reverse into the end of the house wall (the little red circle)
Miss the end of the house wall but slide off the driveway onto the lawn and bump into the bins
graze the corner of the house by the window when driving out

I swear, sometimes this "carport" makes me feel like I've had a stroke and forgot how to drive.

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Kookoo

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#3496002 27-May-2026 21:38

Talkiet:

I couldn't find one when I looked either - so I knocked this up in literally an evening... (Pre-AI)

This is seriously cool mate, I'll ping you at work.

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Technofreak

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#3498869 31-May-2026 09:40

Wouldn’t it be easier just to use the garage? It looks to me that that area was never designed to be used the way you're trying to use it. No wonder you're having problems parking there.

The parking sensors on my car would be going nuts if I was trying to park like that.

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Kookoo

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#3501762 10-Jun-2026 11:51

Technofreak:

Wouldn’t it be easier just to use the garage? It looks to me that that area was never designed to be used the way you're trying to use it. No wonder you're having problems parking there.

The parking sensors on my car would be going nuts if I was trying to park like that.

The other car is in the garage :) I gather you've never seen what Auckland new builds look like. It's designed for two cars - one in the garage, one in front of it.

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wellygary

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#3501770 10-Jun-2026 12:21

Kookoo:

I swear, sometimes this "carport" makes me feel like I've had a stroke and forgot how to drive.

Because its's been designed by an accountant to squeeze as many spaces as possible onto a section of land...

So they can market the place as have 2 off street carparks :)

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SomeoneSomewhere

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#3501777 10-Jun-2026 12:47

Rotating the car 180 degrees would probably make it easier.

Tinkerisk

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#3501835 10-Jun-2026 18:31

SomeoneSomewhere:

Rotating the car 180 degrees would probably make it easier.

... and you could comfortably accommodate a total of four of them, 2 inside and 2 in front of the garage. 😁

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Kookoo

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#3501898 11-Jun-2026 00:52

SomeoneSomewhere:

Rotating the car 180 degrees would probably make it easier.

The next door neighbour's house is the last on the driveway so they don't need to worry about keeping the driveway clear. And if they park their car without pushing it all the way to the garage door it'll be an even bigger problem for me to get out.

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