Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!ukma!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!oberon!skat.usc.edu!blarson
From: blarson@skat.usc.edu (Bob Larson)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Pressure sensing
Message-ID: <8266@oberon.USC.EDU>
Date: 10 Apr 88 04:54:55 GMT
References: <1368@PT.CS.CMU.EDU>
Sender: news@oberon.USC.EDU
Reply-To: blarson@skat.usc.edu (Bob Larson)
Organization: USC AIS, Los Angeles
Lines: 24
Keywords: transducer, pressure, sensor, circuit

In article <1368@PT.CS.CMU.EDU> pedmond@A.GP.CS.CMU.EDU (Patrick Edmond) writes:
>I want to build a circuit that senses the pressure someone's foot is exerting 
>on a surface, without using springs, rheostats etc, because it has to be small
>& simple. Is there such a thing as a small (e.g. < 0.5" tall) transducer or
>some such component whose resistance/capacitance/whatever varies with the
>pressure exerted on it?

Commercailly there are things called "pressure transducers".  I
remember seeing data sheets in one of my old National Semiconducter
catalogs.  They don't seem to be readily available on the hobby
market, (so you get to pay distributer price) and may not be able to
handle the pressure you want.

A cheap, easy to make pressure sensitive resistor can be made with
conductive foam.  (The black foam used in shipping static sensitive
ICs.)  Just hook contacts on opposite corners.

Have fun!


Bob Larson	Arpa: Blarson@Ecla.Usc.Edu	blarson@skat.usc.edu
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