diff --git a/Unity/DistanceSensor.cs b/Unity/DistanceSensor.cs
index 4b81f9b..7774919 100644
--- a/Unity/DistanceSensor.cs
+++ b/Unity/DistanceSensor.cs
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ namespace RoboidControl.Unity {
         /// </summary>
         public RoboidControl.DistanceSensor coreSensor => base.core as RoboidControl.DistanceSensor;
 
+        public float distance {
+            get {
+                if (coreSensor == null)
+                    return float.PositiveInfinity;
+                return coreSensor.distance;
+            }
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Start the Unity representation
         /// </summary>
@@ -56,10 +64,10 @@ namespace RoboidControl.Unity {
                     Thing thing = hitInfo.transform.GetComponentInParent<Thing>();
                     if (thing == null) {
                         // Debug.Log($"collision {hitInfo.transform.name} {hitInfo.distance}");
-                        coreSensor.distance = hitInfo.distance;
+                        coreSensor.internalDistance = hitInfo.distance;
                     }
                     else
-                        coreSensor.distance = 0;
+                        coreSensor.internalDistance = float.PositiveInfinity;
                 }
                 yield return new WaitForSeconds(0.1f);
             }
diff --git a/Unity/Editor/DistanceSensor_Editor.cs b/Unity/Editor/DistanceSensor_Editor.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33d6e2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Unity/Editor/DistanceSensor_Editor.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+using UnityEditor;
+
+namespace RoboidControl.Unity {
+
+    [CustomEditor(typeof(DistanceSensor))]
+    public class DistanceSensor_Editor : Editor {
+
+        public override void OnInspectorGUI() {
+            DistanceSensor distanceSensor = (DistanceSensor)target;
+
+            DrawDefaultInspector();
+            EditorGUILayout.LabelField("Distance", distanceSensor.distance.ToString());
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Unity/Participant.cs b/Unity/Participant.cs
index cdd163d..f48219e 100644
--- a/Unity/Participant.cs
+++ b/Unity/Participant.cs
@@ -41,13 +41,14 @@ namespace RoboidControl.Unity {
 
         protected virtual void HandleThingEvent(RoboidControl.Participant.UpdateEvent e) {
             switch (e.thing) {
+                case RoboidControl.DistanceSensor coreDistanceSensor:
+                    coreDistanceSensor.component = DistanceSensor.Create(coreDistanceSensor);
+                    break;
                 case RoboidControl.TouchSensor coreTouchSensor:
-                    TouchSensor touchSensor = TouchSensor.Create(coreTouchSensor);
-                    coreTouchSensor.component = touchSensor;
+                    coreTouchSensor.component = TouchSensor.Create(coreTouchSensor);
                     break;
                 case RoboidControl.DifferentialDrive coreDrive:
-                    DifferentialDrive differentialDrive = DifferentialDrive.Create(coreDrive);
-                    coreDrive.component = differentialDrive;
+                    coreDrive.component = DifferentialDrive.Create(coreDrive);
                     break;
                 case RoboidControl.Motor coreMotor:
                     if (coreMotor.component == null) {
diff --git a/src/Participants/ParticipantUDP.cs b/src/Participants/ParticipantUDP.cs
index 091ac30..a9f6a4a 100644
--- a/src/Participants/ParticipantUDP.cs
+++ b/src/Participants/ParticipantUDP.cs
@@ -493,6 +493,7 @@ namespace RoboidControl {
         protected virtual Thing ProcessNewThing(Participant owner, ThingMsg msg, bool isRemote) {
             // Console.WriteLine("--- New Thing");
             Thing newThing = msg.thingType switch {
+                Thing.Type.DistanceSensor => new DistanceSensor(owner.root),
                 Thing.Type.TouchSensor => new TouchSensor(owner.root),
                 Thing.Type.DifferentialDrive => new DifferentialDrive(owner.root),
                 _ => new Thing(owner.root)
diff --git a/src/Thing.cs b/src/Thing.cs
index 0d5fd4d..78fefd5 100644
--- a/src/Thing.cs
+++ b/src/Thing.cs
@@ -109,12 +109,12 @@ namespace RoboidControl {
         /// Function which can be used to create components in external engines.
         /// </summary>
         /// Currently this is used to create GameObjects in Unity
-        public virtual void CreateComponent() {
-#if UNITY_5_3_OR_NEWER            
-            this.component = Unity.Thing.Create(this);
-            this.component.core = this;
-#endif            
-        }
+//         public virtual void CreateComponent() {
+// #if UNITY_5_3_OR_NEWER            
+//             this.component = Unity.Thing.Create(this);
+//             this.component.core = this;
+// #endif            
+//         }
 
         #endregion Init
 
diff --git a/src/Things/DistanceSensor.cs b/src/Things/DistanceSensor.cs
index 04a479d..c723527 100644
--- a/src/Things/DistanceSensor.cs
+++ b/src/Things/DistanceSensor.cs
@@ -1,48 +1,72 @@
+using System;
+
 namespace RoboidControl {
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// A sensor measuring the distance in the forward direction
+    /// A sensor measuring distance
     /// </summary>
     public class DistanceSensor : Thing {
-        /// <summary>
-        /// The current measured distance
-        /// </summary>
-        public float distance = 0;
 
-        /*
         /// <summary>
-        /// Constructor for a new distance sensor
+        /// Create a new distance sensor
         /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="participant">The participant for which the sensor is needed</param>
-        public DistanceSensor(Participant participant) : base(participant, Type.Undetermined) { }
-        
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Create a distance sensor with the given ID
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="owner">The participant for with the sensor is needed</param>
-        /// <param name="networkId">The network ID of the sensor</param>
-        /// <param name="thingId">The ID of the thing</param>
-        public DistanceSensor(Participant owner, byte thingId) : base(owner, Type.TemperatureSensor, thingId) {}
-        */
+        /// <param name="parent">The parent thing</param>
         public DistanceSensor(Thing parent) : base(parent) {
             this.type = Type.DistanceSensor;
+            this.name = "Distance sensor";
         }
-        
 
-#if UNITY_5_3_OR_NEWER
-        /// @copydoc Passer::RoboidControl::Thing::CreateComponent              
-        public override void CreateComponent() {
-            this.component = Unity.DistanceSensor.Create(this);
-            this.component.core = this;
+        public float _internalDistance = float.PositiveInfinity;
+        public float internalDistance {
+            get { return _internalDistance; }
+            set {
+                if (value != _internalDistance) {
+                    _internalDistance = value;
+                    distanceUpdated = true;
+                    owner.Send(new BinaryMsg(this));
+                }
+            }
         }
-#endif        
+        protected float externalDistance = float.PositiveInfinity;
+        /// <summary>
+        /// The current distance
+        /// </summary>
+        public float distance {
+            get {
+                if (this.externalDistance < this.internalDistance)
+                    return this.externalDistance;
+                else
+                    return this.internalDistance;
+            }
+        }
+        protected bool distanceUpdated;
+
+// #if UNITY_5_3_OR_NEWER
+//         /// @copydoc Passer::RoboidControl::Thing::CreateComponent              
+//         public override void CreateComponent() {
+//             this.component = Unity.DistanceSensor.Create(this);
+//             this.component.core = this;
+//         }
+// #endif        
+
+        public override byte[] GenerateBinary() {
+            if (!distanceUpdated)
+                return Array.Empty<byte>();
+
+            byte[] bytes = new byte[2];
+            byte ix = 0;
+            LowLevelMessages.SendFloat16(bytes, ref ix, this.internalDistance);
+            distanceUpdated = false;
+            return bytes;
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Function to extract the distance received in the binary message
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="bytes">The byte array</param>
         public override void ProcessBinary(byte[] bytes) {
             byte ix = 0;
-            this.distance = LowLevelMessages.ReceiveFloat16(bytes, ref ix);
+            this.externalDistance = LowLevelMessages.ReceiveFloat16(bytes, ref ix);
         }
 
     }
diff --git a/src/Things/TouchSensor.cs b/src/Things/TouchSensor.cs
index cdeb0dc..bdb23ab 100644
--- a/src/Things/TouchSensor.cs
+++ b/src/Things/TouchSensor.cs
@@ -6,20 +6,6 @@ namespace RoboidControl {
     /// A sensor which can detect touches
     /// </summary>
     public class TouchSensor : Thing {
-        /*
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Create a touch sensor without communication abilities
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="invokeEvent">Invoke a OnNewThing event when the thing has been created</param>
-        public TouchSensor(bool invokeEvent = true) : base(Type.TouchSensor, invokeEvent) { }
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Create a touch sensor for a participant
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="owner">The owning participant</param>
-        /// <param name="thingId">The ID of the thing, leave out or set to zero to generate an ID</param>
-        /// <param name="invokeEvent">Invoke a OnNewThing event when the thing has been created</param>
-        public TouchSensor(Participant owner, byte thingId = 0, bool invokeEvent = true) : base(owner, Type.TouchSensor, thingId, invokeEvent) { }
-        */
         /// <summary>
         /// Create a new child touch sensor
         /// </summary>
@@ -45,14 +31,14 @@ namespace RoboidControl {
         }
         private bool touchUpdated = false;
 
-#if UNITY_5_3_OR_NEWER
-        /// @copydoc Passer::RoboidControl::Thing::CreateComponent 
-        public override void CreateComponent() {
-            // System.Console.Write("Create touch sensor component");
-            this.component = Unity.TouchSensor.Create(this);
-            this.component.core = this;
-        }
-#endif
+// #if UNITY_5_3_OR_NEWER
+//         /// @copydoc Passer::RoboidControl::Thing::CreateComponent 
+//         public override void CreateComponent() {
+//             // System.Console.Write("Create touch sensor component");
+//             this.component = Unity.TouchSensor.Create(this);
+//             this.component.core = this;
+//         }
+// #endif
         /// <summary>
         /// Function used to generate binary data for this touch sensor
         /// </summary>