Diffuse Mode Divergent:

No Beam Pattern

In the example at left, note that there is no developing flashlight-like beam pattern which develops, nor is there the usual representation of an effective beam. Instead the emitted light explodes out in front of the lens like a spray of pellets. Or think of it as a puff of light in all directions, as opposed to a ray of light in a column. That's the significance of a divergent sensor. There is no optical chamber. The light is simply allowed to leave the lens area as it will. The result is a spray of light which does not go far, but which is likely to hit any target and reflect enough light back into the receiver lens to trigger the output.

Clear Targets

Also note that the targets in this animation are clear or semi-transparent materials. The glasses could be plastic, or they could be glass. They are shown in several different colors. At short range, a divergent sensors is very effective at picking up these types of clear and almost clear targets. In fact the sensors are good for picking up difficult targets, clear or not. The targets could be biscuit cans with labels of varying color. The thing to understand is that a divergent sensor is a type of diffuse mode sensor which is good at picking up difficult targets at close range.

Summary

From a technical standpoint, the main characteristic to remember about divergent sensors is the striking lack of a lens chamber. If you look at the sensors in the other animations, you'll note a "nose" area where the lens is housed. That is an optical chamber, where light is taken and developed into a useful pattern. In the divergent sensor, there is no pattern, because there is no optical chamber.