Does placing the distance (ultrasonic) sensor on the side versus the center of the robot affect the distance sensing for the robot? I have an intake in the middle of the robot so I have to place it on the left or right side of the robot… my other option would be to put a bar with the sensor attached in front of the intake (but still high enough where it doesn’t impact any ball intaking) however this would be a bit off the ground compared to putting on the bottom-left or bottom-right side of the robot and I dont know if that way would affect the distance sensing even more…
What is my “best” option here… (1) putting it on the bottom right or bottom left of the robot OR (2) putting it in the middle of the robot BUT A BIT MORE THAN USUAL ELEVATED OFF THE GROUND
It’s hard to answer your question without detailed photos and dimensions of your particular set-up and knowing what your intentions might be. One thing you need to consider is the effective “beam pattern” that the ultrasound makes as it “looks” out at the world. You don’t want the ultrasound emissions hitting parts of your robot and creating spurious reflections that will freak out the sensor. So have a look at the page linked below and click on the tab that reads in red letters “Beam Pattern”. That will show you an image of what the “view” of the ultrasound sensor is and maybe that will give you some better idea of where to mount the sensor.
https://www.vexrobotics.com/276-2155.html#Description
It may actually be advantageous to be a bit higher off the ground, if it makes the sensor more in line for your shooter. Also, being higher means you can look over top of the caps and balls in the way.