Flex (bend) sensor! This sensor can detect bending in one direction. They were popularized by being used in the Nintendo PowerGlove as a gaming interface. These sensors are easy to use, they are basically resistors that change value based on how much their flexed. If they’re unflexed, the resistance is about ~10KΩ. When flexed all the way the resistance rises to ~20KΩ. They’re pretty similar to FSRs so following this tutorial will get you started. You can use an analog input on a microcontroller (with a pullup resistor) or a digital input with the use of a 0.1uF capacitor for RC timing. Flex (bend) sensor, in the Adafruit store.
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3 Comments
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How would the resistance of one of these sensors change if it were stretched between two points and pressed somewhere in between – say, in the fashion of a guitar string?
“How would the resistance of one of these sensors change if it were stretched between two points and pressed somewhere in between – say, in the fashion of a guitar string?”
Probably not very much- they really need a fair amount of bend to work properly. I would think an FSR type sensor would better suited or I have seen sensors that look kind of like a bungee cord that change resistance when they’re stretched.
I’ve noticed that bend sensors tend to be a bit “noisy” too- but for making sensor gloves they’re awesome, especially when combined with FSR sensors on fingertips.
Hi,
I’m looking for several bend sensors for an University project in the biomedical field. The sensitivity is not so critical but the sensors need to be about 2 feet each. DO you have anything like that?
Thank you for your time,
Adrians