DIY Flex Sensor Under $1 !!!

Flex sensors change in resistance as the sensor bends. This makes it incredibly useful in robotics applications such as robotic or animatronic hand where it can measure how much the finger bends and mimic this behaviour. However, they cost more than $20 for one.

Here's a way to make your own flex sensor for under $1 with household materials.

Step 1: Materials

* Aluminimum Foil

* Pencil

* Cardboard

* Tape

* Wires

Step 2: Shade the Paper

* Cut a piece of paper to the size of the flex sensor you needed.

* The darker you shade the paper with the pencil the better the performance of the flex sensor since it offers a lower resistance.

Step 3: Cut Aluminum Foil

* Cut the 2 pieces aluminum foil to size such that it is slightly smaller than the paper.

* This is because we do not want it to touch each other since they will be mounted on opposite sides.

Step 4: Cut Cardboard

* Cut two pieces of cardboard the same dimensions as the paper size you chose.

Step 5: Assemble

* Wrap the wire around one tip of the aluminium foil and glue it in place.

* Tape the aluminium foil to the cardboard.

* Do the same for both cardboard / aluminium pair.

* Sandwich the paper in between the aluminum and cardboard pairs.

* Tape it together tightly.

And you're done, Enjoy!