Bend/Flex Sensor Overview

Collection of different types of sensors that can be used for sensing bend/flex, position of the fingers/hand.


Customized Commercial Flex Sensors

>> http://www.flexpoint.com/
>> http://fkeel.blogspot.com/2011/05/flex-sensors-by-flexpoint.html


Commercial flex sensors

The Spectra flex sensors are badly designed. At the point where the metal connector pierces through printed conductor on the plastic base substrate the otherwise double laminated sensors is only single layerd, causing the materials to flex considerably. The leverage from the metal connector makes it bend all to easily here and the printed conductor cracks. No more contact. Sensor broken.

The Flexpoint bend sensors on the other hand are uniformly either single layer or double laminated and so there is not as sharp of a curve when it bends at any single point. They hold up extremely well, and maybe also the printed conductor is of a more flexible consistency.

Long (4.5 inches) and short (2.2 inches).
>> http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8606
>> http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10264



Commercial Flex Sensors

>> http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/trimmers-potentiometer-rheostat/7081277/
shorter flex sensor >> http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10264


Make our own flex sensors, as shown by Scientific Images

>> http://www.imagesco.com/articles/flex/sensor-pg1.html


Stickytape Sensors

>> http://www.instructables.com/id/Stickytape-Sensors/


Fabric bend sensor

>> http://www.instructables.com/id/Neoprene-Bend-Sensor-IMPROVED/


Proximity Sensor

(4-30cm)
>> http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/distance-measuring-sensors/6666568/
>> http://www.societyofrobots.com/sensors_sharpirrange.shtml


Fiber Optics

>> http://www.mindsetsonline.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=760


Stretch Sensor

>> http://www.imagesco.com/sensors/stretch-sensor.html


Knit Stretch Sensor

>> http://www.kobakant.at/DIY/?p=2108


Hall Effect Sensor and Neodymium Magnet(s)

DigiKey >> http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/A1324LLHLT-T/620-1402-1-ND/2639992
Datasheet >> http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDYQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allegromicro.com%2F~%2FMedia%2FFiles%2FDatasheets%2FA1324-5-6-Datasheet.ashx&ei=sjHmTqakAs2EtgesnLzLBA&usg=AFQjCNFWwFzT6UbN3t3lr5pI_YSy7vlGyw
Magnets >> http://www.kjmagnetics.com/categories.asp


Invisible bending transducer

>> http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924424709000971


Textile Interface Swatchbook

By GA Tech
>> http://www.coa.gatech.edu/images/textile-interface-swatchbook
Video >> http://www.youtube.com/embed/bJrAPU9CiPE


DIY optical bend sensors

>> http://coolshitindustries.com/2011/10/dataglove-with-ghetto-flex-sensors-circa-2000/


DIY Non-fabric Flex Sensors

>> http://www.imagesco.com/articles/flex/sensor-pg1.html
>> http://www.imagesco.com/sensors/flex-sensor.html

1 Comment so far

  1. Paul on May 26th, 2013

    cool list :-)
    thanks for linking to my blog.

    have you seen this: http://www.keyglove.net/
    or this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6upw98gZR5Q

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