diagonal sensors for micromouse!!

[tech_vaibhav_eee]

i am planning to build a micromouse...i have seen a model which has three sensors in front..one to see forward and other two at 45 degrees on each side to see diagonally ahead..now what is confusing me is that how these diagonal sensors would determine the presence of wall(if a diagonal sensor sees the wall the emmited ir ray would be at 45degre to the wall and hence the reflection would be again at45 degree)..so how would the reflected ray be recieved by the reciever?? i m using ir sensors..

 

[crutschow]

Generally the reflection off a wall is diffuse (fairly equal over a 180 degree angle) so the reflection the detector sees will be the same. independent of angle. You can note this with visible light. A flashlight beam on the wall looks the same brightness no matter the angle you view it.

 

[tech_vaibhav_eee]

but what about the laws of reflection..it means they wouldnt hold...
acc. to the law , the light coming frm emmitor should go somewhere else instead of bouncing back to the reciever,...