How do flex sensors work

Try downloading the codebender plugin and clicking on the Run on Arduino button to program your Arduino with this sketch. And that's it, you've programmed your Arduino board! Press connect button to start serial communication with your Arduino board.

You can make your own modifications to the code by clicking the "Edit" button. For example, you can change "" values in map function. You have successfully completed one more Arduino "How to" tutorial and you learned how to use a flex sensor with Arduino. Question 6 months ago. Answer 6 months ago. Question 1 year ago. Hey, i'm doing this with an esp32 but still using the Arduino software. I've changed it a bit there's no LEDs and the only thing that is meant to happen is that the serial monitor should print out the flex sensor's value.

However I've been having some trouble as the only value that keeps being displayed on the serial monitor is on a loop. I'm not sure why this is happening. Question 1 year ago on Step 1. Question 3 years ago. Answer 3 years ago. Have you done with your project about sign languange? I do this project now, can we discuss? Reply 3 years ago. A flex sensor consists of a phenolic resin substrate with conductive ink deposited.

A segmented conductor is placed on top to form a flexible potentiometer in which resistance changes upon deflection. Flex sensors are designed to flex in only one direction — away from ink as shown in the figure. Bending the sensor in another direction may damage it. Also take care not to bend the sensor close to the base, because the bottom of the sensor where the pins are crimped on is very fragile and can break when bent over.

The conductive ink printed on the sensor acts as a resistor. When the sensor is straight, this resistance is about 25k. When the sensor is bent, conductive layer is stretched, resulting in reduced cross section imagine stretching a rubber band. This reduced cross section results in an increased resistance. When the sensor is straightened again, the resistance returns to its original value. These voltages are applied according to below table. This sensor device works on the principle of bending strip means when its strip is bend then its resistance is changed which is measured with any controller.

Another words, this sensor works like a variable resistance whose resistance is changed when it is bend. This change in resistance depends upon surface linearity, means the resistance of this sensor would be different at different angle such as the resistance would be different when it is flat, the resistance would be different when it is bend 45 0 , similarly the resistance would be different when it is bend 90 0.

These three bending conditions are shown in figure 2. According to figure 2, if we divide it into three cases. In case one when there is no any bend in this flex sensor then resistance would be nominal. In case two when the bend in flex sensor is 45 0 then the resistance would be double as compared to case one.

Similarly , in case three when the bend in the sensor is 90 0 then the resistance would be double as compared to case one and four time as compared to case 1. So,if we talk about ratio then this resistance is directly proportional to bending angle means it is increased as well as angle is increased. For measuring bend, bending angle of any instrument, flex sensor is used with type of controller such as microcontroller or Arduino etc.

Here we shell tell the user how interface it with Arduino board.