An apparatus (100, 100', 100", 101) for sensing transparent and/or shiny objects, comprising: ∘ a spin polarized optoelectronic emitter device configured to generate illumination signals that, in response to a first electrical signal being applied to said spin polarized optoelectronic emitter device, produces a first illumination signal with a first circular polarization, and in response to a second electrical signal being applied to said spin polarized optoelectronic emitter, produces a second illumination signal with a second circular polarization; ∘ a spin photodiode configured to detect the first illumination signal and the second illumination signal reflected from a reflector (106; 3) and via transparent and/or shiny objects; ∘ a first electronic circuit configured to alternately generate the first and second electrical signals; and ∘ a second electronic circuit in communication with the spin photodiode and configured to determine whether a transparent and/or shiny object is present by: after calibration of a reflected circularly polarized light signal with the reflector (106; 3) to generate a calibration reflected signal, receiving the first and second detected illumination signals as reflected signals in the presence of a transparent and/or shiny object, comparing (i) each intensity level of the first and second detected reflected illumination signals with (ii) intensity level of the calibration reflected illumination signal, whereas a difference in intensity levels is indicative of a difference between the first and the second circular polarizations, determining that the polarization spin of circularly polarized reflected illumination signals has changed based on the comparison between each reflected illumination signal and the calibration reflected illumination signal, and responsive to determining that the polarization spin of the circularly polarized illumination signal has changed, determining that the transparent and/or shiny object is present. ∘ a spin polarized optoelectronic emitter device configured to generate illumination signals that, in response to a first electrical signal being applied to said spin polarized optoelectronic emitter device, produces a first illumination signal with a first circular polarization, and in response to a second electrical signal being applied to said spin polarized optoelectronic emitter, produces a second illumination signal with a second circular polarization; ∘ a spin photodiode configured to detect the first illumination signal and the second illumination signal reflected from a reflector (106; 3) and via transparent and/or shiny objects; ∘ a first electronic circuit configured to alternately generate the first and second electrical signals; and ∘ a second electronic circuit in communication with the spin photodiode and configured to determine whether a transparent and/or shiny object is present by: after calibration of a reflected circularly polarized light signal with the reflector (106; 3) to generate a calibration reflected signal, receiving the first and second detected illumination signals as reflected signals in the presence of a transparent and/or shiny object, comparing (i) each intensity level of the first and second detected reflected illumination signals with (ii) intensity level of the calibration reflected illumination signal, whereas a difference in intensity levels is indicative of a difference between the first and the second circular polarizations, determining that the polarization spin of circularly polarized reflected illumination signals has changed based on the comparison between each reflected illumination signal and the calibration reflected illumination signal, and responsive to determining that the polarization spin of the circularly polarized illumination signal has changed, determining that the transparent and/or shiny object is present.