3-Way IR Line Following Sensor Module for Arduino

The 3-Way IR Line Following Sensor Module for Arduino detects a high-contrast line typically black tape on a white surface using three TCRT5000 infrared reflective sensors arranged side by side. Each sensor contains an infrared LED that emits IR light downward and a phototransistor that detects how much of that light reflects back from the surface below. A white surface reflects a large amount of IR light back to the phototransistor. A black line absorbs IR light, reflecting very little. The sensor output switches between HIGH and LOW based on that reflectance difference, and the Arduino reads those three digital outputs to determine where the line is relative to the robot — left, centre, right, or some combination.

The 3 way ir sensor three-channel layout gives more positional information than a single sensor — if only the left sensor detects the line, the robot has drifted right and must steer left to recentre. If all three sensors detect the line simultaneously, the robot is on a wide marking or a junction. That three-point positional logic drives smoother and more responsive line tracking than a single-sensor approach allows. The 3 LED indicators on the module light up each time the corresponding sensor detects a dark surface, giving instant visual confirmation that the sensor is working correctly during setup without needing to monitor serial output on a computer.

The infrared line detection sensor module requires a 5V DC supply, connecting directly to the Arduino 5V and GND pins alongside the three digital output signal wires. Sensing distance and sensitivity are typically adjustable via onboard potentiometers — confirm this with the supplier. The IR sensor for arduino suits line-following robot chassis, conveyor edge detection, and floor-marking position sensing builds. This Tracker Sensor module available on StemVolt, and its working on robot navigation and IR reflectance detection projects.

Related Product:

• Checkout TCRT5000 IR Sensor Module
• Explore IR, Ultrasonic and Proximity Sensors

Features:

• Three TCRT5000 sensors give left, centre, right positional line detection data
• Digital HIGH/LOW output on each channel reads directly on Arduino GPIO pins
• LED indicators confirm each sensor detection state during setup
• 5V supply connects to Arduino 5V pin without regulator or adapter circuits
• Three-point logic enables smoother steering correction than single-sensor

Technical Specifications:

Applications:

• 3-Way IR Line Following Sensor detects black tape line on two-wheel robot chassis
• Provides three-channel line position data for builds line following robot
• IR sensor for Arduino detects floor marking edges in automated conveyor line tracking
• Infrared line detection sensor module guides robot through marked path on competition track builds
• 3 channel tracking sensors detect junction and crossing points

Package Include:

• 1 x 3-Way IR Line Following Sensor Module