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WEARABLES / MATERIALS
THREAD (3)
FABRIC (3)
RIBBON (4)
OTHER (8)

Stainless Medium Conductive Thread

- 3 ply - 18 meter/60 ft
PRODUCT ID: 641
After months of searching, we finally have what we consider to be the ultimate
conductive thread. It's thin, strong, smooth, and made completely of 316L stainless
steel. Once you start working with this thread you'll quickly agree its optimal for any
wearables work! This thread is 3 ply, thicker than every day polyester or cotton

1
thread but still thin enough to be sewn by hand in medium-eye needles. This may be
sew-able by a sewing...
ADD TO CART

$6.95
IN STOCK

Stainless Thin Conductive Thread - 2

ply - 23 meter/76 ft
PRODUCT ID: 640
After months of searching, we finally have what we consider to be the ultimate
conductive thread. It's thin, strong, smooth, and made completely of 316L stainless
steel. Once you start working with this thread you'll quickly agree its optimal for any
wearables work! This thread is 2 ply, a little thicker than every day polyester or
cotton thread but still thin enough to be sewn by hand in medium-eye needles or
with a sewing machine that...
ADD TO CART

$5.95
IN STOCK

2
Conductive Rubber Cord Stretch
Sensor + extras!
PRODUCT ID: 519
Measuring stretch forces isn't easy - unless you have some conductive rubber cord!
This cord is 2mm diameter, and 1 meter long, made of carbon-black impregnated
rubber. Usually this material is used for EMF gasketing, but its also very fun to play
with. In a 'relaxed' state, the resistance is about 350 ohms per inch. As you pull on it,
the resistance increases (the particles get further apart). As you stretch it out, the
resistance increases. So...
ADD TO CART

$9.95
98 IN STOCK

Pressure-Sensitive Conductive Sheet

(Velostat/Linqstat)
PRODUCT ID: 1361
This conductive material (also known as "Velostat" or "Linqstat") is a nice addition for
your wearable/sensor hacking toolkit. It's pressure-sensitive: squeezing it will
reduce the resistance, so it's handy for making flexible sensors. And it's a lot less
expensive than off-the-shelf pressure or bend sensors too! Each order comes with a
11"x11" (28cm x 28cm) 4mil (0.1mm) thick piece. We may fold the...
ADD TO CART

$3.95
15 IN STOCK

3
Woven Conductive Fabric - Silver
20cm square
PRODUCT ID: 1168
This woven conductive fabric is silver-plated nylon. Use small pieces for soft
switches, plush keypads, capacitive touch sensors, and other textile interfaces. This
highly conductive fabric has a resistance of less than 1 ohm per foot in any direction
across the textile. Great for use with FLORA. Sold as a 20cm x 20cm piece (minimum
dimension) Iron on medium if necessary, steam ok. Dry cleaning recommended.
Discoloration can occur over time....
ADD TO CART

$4.95
IN STOCK

4
Stainless Thin Conductive Yarn /
Thick Conductive Thread - 30 ft
PRODUCT ID: 603
This 316L stainless steel thread falls somewhere between a thick thread and a thin
yarn. Most sewing machines wouldn't be happy with this thread since its thick, and it
has the 'furry' soft feel of yarn which makes it poor for most e-textiles/wearables
projects. However, the high conductivity and softness make it a great thread for
making iPhone gloves! Sew a couple inches into the pad of your gloves to keep your
hands toasty while...
ADD TO CART

$4.50
IN STOCK

3M Z-Axis Conductive Tape 9703 -

2"x6" (50mm x 150mm) Strip
PRODUCT ID: 1656
When Bunnie showed up at Adafruit with the prototype for his Chibitronics Circuit
Stickers we were all like "How on earth does that work?" and he was all like "Z-Axis
tape - Its amazing!" And we agreed, so we decided to get some in our Materials
section since its so cool. Z-axis tape is made by 3M, and is used to bond two
conductive surfaces together and allow a small (we'd say keep it under 100mA)
current to flow through...
ADD TO CART

$4.95
5
IN STOCK

Flex PCB Material - Pyralux - 6" by 6"

Square - AC 352500EY
PRODUCT ID: 1894
Finally, the conductive material you've known you wanted but never knew you could
have, its a sheet of flex PCB material! This is the stuff used to make flexible circuits,
but raw and unetched. You can treat it just like 1 oz copper clad, etch it with ferric
chloride (or other PCB etching systems) or cut with scissors. It may even be possible
to laser or CNC engrave (we haven't tried it ourselves but we'd love to hear about it if
you...
ADD TO CART

$8.95
IN STOCK

6
Knit Conductive Fabric - Silver 20cm
square
PRODUCT ID: 1167
This knit conductive fabric is 100% silver and super luxe! Use small pieces on the tips
of gloves or in any soft circuit situation where you need a bit of stretch. This highly
conductive fabric has a resistance of less than 1 ohm per foot in any direction across
the textile. It can be used to make soft keypads and capacitive touch sensors, as well
as soft "squeeze" switches. Great for use with FLORA. Sold as a 20cm x 20cm piece
(minimum...
ADD TO CART

$9.95
IN STOCK

PRODUCT ID: 1324

Conductive hook & loop tape is just like the stuff you've seen on jackets, clothes,
shoes, and bags, but is coated with silver to make it fully conductive. Originally this
was designed to the manufacture of static-safe clothing, but its great for wearable
applications as well. For example an on-off switch or sensor. Each order ships with
three inches of BOTH halves, its easily sewn or cut. Conductive Hook & Loop Tape -
3" long...
ADD TO CART

$7.50

7
IN STOCK

Stainless Steel Conductive Ribbon -

5mm wide 1 meter long
PRODUCT ID: 1244
This woven conductive ribbon is great for powering lots of LEDs in a wearable
project. It's thin, strong, smooth, and made completely of 316L stainless steel. It
plays nice with our stainless conductive thread and is very flexible, just like textile
ribbon. The easiest way to attach this ribbon is to either slip it through a casing, or
better yet, zig-zag stitch over it to tack it down. Because it is strong and flexible, its
ideal for any...
ADD TO CART

$24.95
61 IN STOCK

8
Knit Jersey Conductive Fabric - 20cm
square
PRODUCT ID: 1364
This knit jersey conductive fabric is 63% cotton, 35% silver yarn and 2% spandex. Use
small pieces for soft switches, plush keypads, capacitive touch sensors, and other
textile interfaces. It's very soft and matte, perfect for ironing onto wearables with
double sided interfacing. This conductive fabric has different resistance in each
direction: 46 ohms per foot across the rows (stretchier direction) and 460 ohms per
foot across the columns...
ADD TO CART

$9.95
61 IN STOCK

9
Conductive thread ribbon cable -
White - 1 yard
PRODUCT ID: 1139
This lightweight, flexible fabric ribbon cable contains four channels of conductive
thread, perfect for wiring up wearables where flexibility is key. Use it to connect your
conductive fabric gamepad to your microcontroller or computer! Features: Low
resistance: ~16 / ft. [304.80 mm]4 Conductor connectionsPower and data
applicationsLight-weightSewableWashable and dryableStitchable over apparel
construction seamsFoldable onto itself...
ADD TO CART

$5.25
2 IN STOCK

Conductive thread ribbon cable -

Black - 1 yard
PRODUCT ID: 1424
This lightweight, flexible fabric ribbon cable contains four channels of conductive
thread, perfect for wiring up wearables where flexibility is key. Use it to connect your
conductive fabric gamepad to your microcontroller or computer! Features: Low
resistance: ~16 / ft. [304.80 mm] 4 Conductor connections Power and data
applications Light-weight Sewable Washable and dryable Stitchable over apparel
construction seams Foldable onto itself...
ADD TO CART

$5.25
10
IN STOCK

Stainless Steel Conductive Ribbon -

17mm wide 1 meter long
PRODUCT ID: 1243
This woven conductive ribbon is great for powering lots of LEDs in a wearable
project. It's thin, strong, smooth, and made completely of 316L stainless steel. It
plays nice with our stainless conductive thread and is very flexible, just like textile
ribbon. The easiest way to attach this ribbon is to either slip it through a casing, or
better yet, zig-zag stitch over it to tack it down. Because it is strong and flexible, its
ideal for any...
ADD TO CART

$29.95
25 IN STOCK

11
Conductive Fiber - Stainless Steel
20um - 10 grams
PRODUCT ID: 1088
This conductive fiber is super interesting! It's great for felting and could also be spun
into yarn if that's your thing. We tested many different fiber thicknesses for needle
felting and found that this one (20um fiber thickness) is the most pleasurable to
work with. Use about 0.2g of the stuff to make a felt touch button suitable for use
with the MaKey MaKey or capacitive touch sensing circuit. Make felt controllers or
felt buttons...
NOTIFY ME

$2.95
OUT OF STOCK

12
Soft Potentiometer Kit from
Plug&Wear
PRODUCT ID: 2273
This soft potentiometer is an interesting way to add an adjustable resistor / slide
potentiometer to your wearable. You can use it to adjust the brightness of an LED, or
as a sensor input to your Flora or Gemma. When the ring slides up and down the
ribbon, the resistance from the end of the ribbon to ring will vary from ~100 ohms to
about 8Kohm. To use as a voltage-output potentiometer, connect one end to ground
and the other end to 3.3V or so,...
ADD TO CART

$6.95
IN STOCK

Fabric Ribbon 4-Channel Wire - 1

yard
PRODUCT ID: 1373
This lightweight, flexible fabric ribbon channel contains four individual wires, perfect
for wiring up wearables where flexibility is key. This ribbon has 4 x 28AWG
stranded-core wires, easy to solder but also quite flexible. There's no risk of
accidental shorts since each wire is sleeved, and you can also pass a fair bit of
current Features: Ultra-low resistance: ~0.25 / m 4 Conductor connections Power
and data applications Sewable...
MORE INFO

$5.95
13
DISCONTINUED

TactileTape: Low-cost touch sensing

on curved surfaces

TactileTape is a one-dimensional touch sensor that looks and behaves like regular tape. It can be
constructed from everyday materials (a pencil, tin foil, and shelf liner) and senses single-touch
input on curved and deformable surfaces. It is used as a roll of touch sensitive material from which
designers cut pieces to quickly add touch sensitive strips to physical prototypes. TactileTape is
low-cost, easy to interface, and, unlike current non-planar touch solutions [2,7,11], it is better
adapted for the rapid exploration and iteration in the early design stage.

14
Pressure-Sensitive Conductive Sheet
(Velostat/Linqstat)
PRODUCT ID: 1361

$3.95
15 IN STOCK

DESCRIPTION

This conductive material (also known as "Velostat" or "Linqstat") is a nice addition for
your wearable/sensor hacking toolkit. It's pressure-sensitive: squeezing it will
reduce the resistance, so it's handy for making flexible sensors. And it's a lot less
expensive than off-the-shelf pressure or bend sensors too! Each order comes with a
11"x11" (28cm x 28cm) 4mil (0.1mm) thick piece. We may fold the sheet into
quarters to ship it to you. To remove any hard creases, simply lay flat on a table and
put a heavy book on top to flatten it out.

15
Woven Conductive Fabric - Silver
20cm square
PRODUCT ID: 1168

$4.95
IN STOCK

DESCRIPTION

This woven conductive fabric is silver-plated nylon. Use small pieces for soft
switches, plush keypads, capacitive touch sensors, and other textile interfaces. This
highly conductive fabric has a resistance of less than 1 ohm per foot in any direction
across the textile. Great for use with FLORA.

Sold as a 20cm x 20cm piece (minimum dimension) Iron on medium if necessary,

steam ok. Dry cleaning recommended. Discoloration can occur over time.

16
 Sensor Film
Kit

The Sensor Film Kit consists of a smart plastic film that can be cut to any
shape to make force-sensitive switches and sensors. The black plastic sensor
film is an ultra-durable material that changes its electrical resistance when
force is applied to it. The Sensor Film Kit contains everything needed to be
able to quickly and easily make custom-shaped force-sensitive sensors and
switches for Arduino based projects.
After many years of marketing and manufacturing custom-shaped and
calibrated sensor films, one thing stands out about this technology: how easily
and quickly a custom size and shape sensor can be put together. The Sensor
Film Kit has been put together for Makers and all others that are commonly
using Arduino and other microcontrollers in their projects and hobbies as
an affordable kit with the materials and instructions enabling people to create
their own force sensors and switches and experience just how easily it can be
done.
The kit comes with the following components:
one 4 inch x 6 inch sheet of smart polymer sensor film (0.010 inch thick)
two 4 in. x 6 in. sheets of industrial aluminum foil (0.003 in. thick) for electrodes
two 4 in. x 6 in. sheets of clear adhesive-backed polyester film with release liner
for holding the sensors together
Two alligator clips to hook up a sensor to an Arduino or other micro controller with
an A/D input.

17
 Measurement Resistor
Instructions and tips for sensor assembly
Arduino code and connection diagrams for a variety of examples (including those
shown below)

How to Make a Sensor with the

Sensor Film Kit
The assembly of a sensor is quite simple and
involves four easy steps:

18
How Does the Sensor Film Work?
The polymer film of the Sensor Film Kit differs from all other force sensing film technologies by
the physics of how it obtains force measurements. Other force sensing film technologies use rubber-like
polymers or inks that change their electrical resistance due to compressive deformation of the material -
i.e. those materials get thinner when force is applied to them. In order to provide measurements, the

material must be soft enough to deform. This causes relatively poor long-term durability.
Conversely, the sensor polymer contained in the Sensor Film Kit has the highest impact and

wear resistance of any thermoplastic (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) such that even when

very high forces are applied, there is negligible compressive deformation of the polymer film.
The technology in use with the Sensor Film Kit relies on small changes in the nano-scale
surface roughness of the polymer film when force is applied. Because these changes are at the nano-

scale, they multiply by orders of magnitude for a nominal sized film sensor, causing dramatic changes in
the electrical resistance that are easy to measure with an Arduino or other microcontroller or any data

acquisition system.

19
 In order to most easily get measurements from the Sensor Film Kit, the Arduino's regulated 5V
supply is fed through the sensor and a fixed-value measurement resistor to ground. In this constant-
voltage configuration, the amount of current that flows through the sensor indicates the force applied to
it. This is measured by reading the voltage across the fixed-value measurement resistor with one of the
Arduino's analog input pins.

Measurement Range
Sensors from the Sensor Film Kit are able to detect minimal forces of a few ounces all the way
up to maximum forces of a few thousand pounds without changing the measurement resistor when
using the constant-voltage method recommended here. More advanced circuits, such as an op-amp
current-to-voltage converter or constant current circuits, can be used to increase the accuracy and
sensitivity of sensor films. Sensors made using the Sensor Film Kit are quite durable, being able to take
extreme overload forces up to and typically beyond the polymer sensor films mechanical yield strength
of 2,000 pounds per square inch of sensor area. Even when overloaded severely, the zero point
(voltage output at no force) rarely changes due to the fact that when no force is applied to the sensor, it
acts as an open circuit, not allowing any electrical current to flow.

In order to better view the sensor's output graphically, the conductance of the sensor can be
plotted against force. Conductance is merely the inverse of resistance. The plot below shows the
Conductance of the sensor film from 0 to 4000 pounds of force, showing how wide the sensor film's
range of measurement can be.

20
http://www.sensorfilmkit.com/how-it-works

21
Linear SoftPot (Ribbon Sensor) -
100mm
PRODUCT ID: 178

$7.95
IN STOCK

DESCRIPTION

Manufactured by Spectra Symbol, these are nice little ribbon controllers (also known
as 'soft potentiometers') with an adhesive backing.

There is a nominal 10K resistance across the two outer leads. The middle pin
resistance with respect to either of the outer pins changes depending on where on
the strip one presses. When no pressure is applied, the middle pin floats, so be sure
to use some sort of weak pullup, such as 100K ohm.

To use Connect one side pin to ground via a 10K resistor in series. Connect the other
side pin to your Vcc power line (3V, 5V etc) via a different 10K resistor in series.

22
Then read the analog voltage on the center pin. It will range from 1/3 Vcc to 2/3 Vcc
. Do not connect to Ground and Power directly!

Datasheet, diagrams & schematics, and more information at the manufacturer's

website!

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Dimensions:

Length: 140.6mm/5.54in
Width: 20.50mm/0.81in
Thickness: 0.58mm/0.023in
Weight: 1.68g/0.06oz

www.adafruit.com/products/178

23
Conductive Fabric Pressure Sensor

Sew together conductive fabric and anti-static plastic to make your own
fabric pressure sensor!

These step-by-step instructions will show you how to make your own
fabric pressure sensor. It mentions two different variations, depending
on if you use stretchy or non-stretchy fabric.
The materials used for the sensor are basically cheap and off-the-shelf.
There are other places that sell conductive fabrics and Velostat, but
LessEMF is a convenient option for both, especially for shipping within
North America.

Velostat is the brand name for the plastic bags in which sensitive
electronic components are packaged in. Also called anti-static, ex-static,
carbon based plastic... (So you can also cut up one of these black
plastic bags if you have one at hand. But caution! Not all of them work!)

To make the sensor fully fabric one can use EeonTex(TM) conductive
textile (www.eeonyx.com) instead of the plastic Velostat, but at the
moment EeonTex(TM) conductive textile is only available in a minimum
of 100yds.

This is an improvement on the Flexible Fabric Touchpad Instructable,

using "iron-on" and plastic ex-static instead of the fabric which is less
stable in maintaining resistance between the two conductive layers.

To see what we use this technology for visit:

24
www.massage-me.at
www.plusea.at
www.kobakant.at

Step 2: Stencils

Decide on a shape for your pressure sensor. Consider that you will
need to create two separate tabs for the two layers of conductive fabric
and that these should not touch each other (see pictures).

25
Fabric: sketch the shape for your sensor onto some paper or cardboard,
including both tabs.
Velostat: create a 5mm smaller version of this shape, not including the
tabs.
Conductive fabric: create a 10mm smaller version of the fabric shape
that only includes one of the tabs. If your shape is not symmetrical you
might have to create two stencils for this part.

Thrace these stencils to the fabrics and cut out the correct number of
times:
2x Fabric, 2x Velostat, 2x Conductive fabric

If you are working with stretchy fabric and thus stretch conductive fabric
or any other kind of conductive fabric that does not already come with
fusible attached, you will want to fuse (iron-on) some interfacing to it
before you trace ad cut out your shapes.

Step 3: Ironing-on (Fusing)

26
Now that you have all of the shapes cut our of the fabrics you ill need.
You can fuse (iron-on) the conductive fabric to your fabric pieces (see
pictures).

Also, if you are working with stretchy fabric you will want to cut two
small pieces of non-stretch or thicker fabric the size of your tabs and
fuse these to your tabs so that when you punch the poppers through,
the stretchy fabric does not damage when stretched.

Step 4: Sewing

27
Sandwich your piece of Velostat between your two pieces of fabric
fused with conductive fabric, so that the conductive fabric faces inwards,
towards each other, separated only by the Velostat.

Thread a needle with regular thread and stitch around the edges. Or if
you have a sewing machine, you can also use this.

Step 5: Poppers

28
Read the instructions on how to use your popper machine. Attach a
female popper to one side and a male popper to the other, preferable
facing the same side.

Step 6: LEDs and vibration motors

29
To see how your pressure sensor works we will need to include it in a
simple electronic circuit.
If you happen to be working a lot with poppers and circuits you might
like to modify a set of crocodile clips to have poppers on one end.
Otherwise you can just clip on to the poppers.

To visualize with a multimeter, create the following setup (see

pictures and video):
Set multimeter to measure resistance (in Ohm), should be between 2 K
Ohm - 10 Ohm for stretch conductive fabric and X - 200 Ohm for
Shieldit conductive fabric. Of course this depends on the size of your
conductive surfaces and how tight the initial pressure from your stitching
around the edge is.
Attach the multimeter plus to one side of fabric pressure sensor (doesn't
matter which side) and multimeter minus to other side of fabric pressure
sensor. Apply pressure and watch the resistance value change. You
might have to adjust the range if you don't see anything. If you have a
constant connection then either you forgot to put the Velostat in
between or somewhere your two pieces of conductive fabric are
touching.

To visualize with LED or vibration motor, create the following

setup (see pictures and video):
Connect the plus of a 9V battery to one side of the fabric pressure
sensor (doesn't matter which side) and connect the other side of the
pressure sensor to the plus of an LED or either side of the vibration
motor (switching plus minus only affects the direction of the vibration
motor, whereas an LED only works in one direction). Connect the minus

30
of the LED or the other other side of the vibration motor to the minus of
the 9V battery.
Apply pressure to the fabric pressure sensor and control the brightness
of the LED or the strength of the vibration.

To visualize with microcontroller and computer:

For Arduino microcontroller code and Processing visualization code
please look here >> http://www.kobakant.at/DIY/?cat=347

31
Shaped Analog Sensor Kit
This tutorial will show you how to make shaped analog sensors using our Shaped Analog Sensor Kit.

This kit contains:

- two 20 x 20 cm (7.8"x7.8") conductive fabric pieces

- one 20 x 20 cm (7.8"x7.8") Velostat piece
- conductive thread

You'll need:

- sewing needle
- non conductive thread
- a small piece of cardboard

Start by cutting the shape you want to make on a piace of cardboard. The shape must be smaller then 20 x
20 cm (7.8"x7.8").

Place the cardbord over the fabric and mark the same shape.

32
Cut it out.

Repeat the same operation with the other piece of fabric.

Then put them metal to metal and pin them together. Cut them so that they are exactly the same shape.

33
Repeat the same with Velostat, leaving 2 mm (0.08") all around the shape.

34
 It's now time to make the connections. By sewing connect the metal thread of the fabric to the the
conductive thread.

And when you have finished bring the remaining portion of the conductive thread on the cotton side of the
fabric.

35
Repeat the same with the other piece of fabric. Then make a sandwich with fabric on the sides and Velostat
in between, as shown in the picture. Cotton must stay on the outside.

Pin the layers all together, so they are firm.

36
Cut the excess of Velostat, leaving 1 mm (0.04") all around. It is very important that the two metal sides of
the fabric don't touch, or the sensor will not work.

Start sewing along the shape with NON conductive thread. You can also use a sewing machine.

37
This is a finished sensor. Use the portions of conductive thread for connections.

If you have an overlock machine you can use it to obtain better edges.

38
These sensors work as pressure sensors, but also as bend sensors.

They can be connected to an Arduino using this tutorial

39
Sensor #1: Velostat
Velostat Pressure Sensor
video | code | purchase

The first sensor is the most unique! Velostat is actually a

conductive packaging material that many electronic
components ship in.

Adafruit Pressure-Sensitive Conductive Sheet (Velostat/Linqstat)

Inspired by the tutorial on adafruit, I was able to create a

pressure sensor with two pieces of acrylic and some
conductive thread. I also tested some copper tape as an
alternative material. The Velostat sensor can (sort-of)
report a relative difference in weight as items are added or
removed. It behaves similarly to a variable resistor.

Pros: Cheap, Low Profile, Configurable (in that you can

cut sheets to any desired size)
Cons: Inaccurate, Home-brew Quality

40
41
42
http://www.instructables.com/id/Stickytape-Sensors/

43
How to Make Bi-Directional Flex Sensors

Flex sensors are passive resistive devices that can be used to detect
bending or flexing. The flex sensor shown in this article is a bi-
directional flex sensor that decreases its resistance in proportion to the
amount it is bent in either direction. The sensor we are building is about
3/8" wide by 5" long. You can easily make a sensor wider and longer
depending upon your application:

Applications

Flex sensors may be used in robotics to determine joint movement or

placement. They may also be used like whiskers for wall detection. The
sensors we are making are also pressure sensitive so they can also be
used as bumper switches for wall detection or pressure switches on
robotic grippers. For bio-metrics, the sensor can be placed on a moving
joint of athletic equipment to provide an electrical indication of
movement or placement. A few of the sensors can be incorporated onto
a glove to make virtual reality glove.

44
Step 2: Making the Bi-Directional Flex Sensor:
(Sandwich the materials)

Making the Bi-Directional Flex Sensor:

The resistive material is sandwiched between the two copper clad

laminates. The copper sides of the laminates are both facing toward the
resistive material; see figures 3, 4 and 5. If you soldered the wires on
the same side of the laminates, when you assemble the sensor, the
wires will be positioned on opposite corners allowing the base of the
sensor to lay flatter.

To this sandwich we add the acetate strip, see figure 6. The purpose of

45
the acetate strip is to make the sensor more resilient and to spring back
after it has been flexed.

Step 3: Packing the Sandwich

This entire sandwich is inserted into the heat shrink tubing, see figure 7.
The base of the sandwiched materials is shown in figure 8, just before it
is inserted completely into the heat shrink tubing.

46
Step 4: Sealing the Sensor

You are almost finished. At each end of the heat shrink tubing place a
small amount of clear silicon sealer, see figure 9. Allow the sealer to dry
according to its directions, usually around twenty-four hours.

Step 5: Testing the Bi-Directional Flex Sensor:

47
Testing the Bi-Directional Flex Sensor:

Set a VOM meter to read ohms. The sensor we built had a nominal
resistance of approximately 20K ohms, see figure 10. As the sensor is
bent in one direction Figure 12the resistance decrease in proportion to
the bend to approximately 2k, see figure 11. Bending the sensor in the
opposite direction also decreases the resistance in proportion to the
bend to 2K ohm, see figure 12.

The sensor is also pressure and force sensitive. So pressing down on

the sensor will also decrease it resistance. The basic sensor can be
modified in size and shape to fit custom applications. The resistive
material may also be modified to obtain different resistances and
characteristics. Most materials are easily obtained from electronic
sources. Images will supply the following materials to get you started.

48
Pressure Sensor Experiments

For alle the pressure sensors I used the same set-up and code. The code is
the Analog Read Serial code from the Arduino Examples.

49
50
Pressure Sensor 1
Our First Pressure Sensor is made out of two layers of conductive fabric with
one layer Velostat in between.

It works well, as you can see the difference between press and release, but
therefore it works more like a button, because there are only values for
on/off, no range between, so it is not possible to detect with how much force
you press it.

Also there is no haptic response when you press the sensor with your finger,
you can't feel any difference while pressing it. But this can be an advantage
for attaching it to a dress or suit, as it doesn't add much volume to it.

51
52
Pressure Sensor 2
The principle is the same as in the first sensor, just added two layers of foam
outside of the conductive fabric, to have achieve the feeling of actually
pressing something.

The results are similar to the ones of the first sensor.

53
54
ERROR: stackunderflow
OFFENDING COMMAND: ~

STACK: