Homemade Stretchsensors for Robotic Apps, Made From Conducting Foam.

I used conducting foam, as used for the static protection of electronic components, as inputsensors to drive servo's. In this case I used 2 servo's but it's possible to use more. The Arduino sketch is the one that comes with the Arduino compiler (servo-knob) but the code is doubled for , in this case, 2 servo's and sensors.
As an original stretch sensor will cost 19 Euro's, you can save lots of money making them yourself in this way.

Comments

[Revanchist]

This is amazing! this has soo many real-life applications, too bad its not really an instructable but a show off... maybe a step-by-step process would have been even more amazing... good job renaissanceman! kudos

[mischka]

Cool thing, please show how you made the sensors.

[renaissanceman]

Hi Mischka,

I cut off a strip from a piece of conducting foam , stripped 2 wires and taped the wires on either side of the strip. If you stretch or comprime the foam you'll measure a difference in resistance which is the analog input for the arduino.

(btw: the foam is used by electronic component transport and manufaturing to prevent building up of static, maybe you can get some ata Radio-shack store. I got mine from a pcb case I use for my job.)

Have fun !

Kees

[mischka]

Thanks for your description.