Why are “touchless” sink controls and automatic soap dispensers so finicky and unreliable?
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A lot of automatic sinks and such use an infrared proximity detector. Basically it shoots out an infrared beam and waits for something to get close enough to bounce it back. But that means there’s a relatively small threshold where your hands can be to set it off. If they’re in the wrong spot, it may not bounce back properly or even be in the beam.
Ever notice how there’s a sweet spot when using a sink?
Automatic toilets are similar and were the BANE of my childhood. Being small and afraid of loud noises… I was always setting off the toilets by wiggling, thus setting off the proximity sensors.
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