Arduino Flex Sensor or bend sensor

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Table of Contents

Arduino Flex Sensor, Description:

Arduino Flex Sensor– This Tutorial is about the Flex sensor. In this tutorial, we will be covering the extreme basics, because in the upcoming tutorials we will be using this flex sensor in a biomedical project for human posture monitoring. We will also be using the Flex Sensor for security purposes, for monitoring dents in sheet metal and so on, so make sure you subscribe to my channel and website right now, so that you never miss any of my upcoming tutorials. In this tutorial, we will cover

What is a flex sensor?
How does a Flex sensor work?
How to use Flex Sensor with the Arduino?
A basic program to control an led
How to select a proper resistor that is used with the flex sensor.

Amazon Links:

Arduino Nano USB C type (Recommended)

Arduino Uno

Flex sensor:

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Flex Sensor:

A flex sensor which is also known as the bend sensor is a sensor that measures the amount of bending or deflection.

The Bend Sensor is usually stuck to the surface whose bend is to be monitored, as the surface is bent the resistance of the Bend sensor varies. So we can say that the resistance of the Bend Sensor is directly proportional to the amount of Bend.

The Flex sensors are also used for the precise angle measures, the flex sensor just like an ordinary resistor, the only difference is the in the construction, so we can call this Flex Sensor or Bend Sensor as the Flexible Potentiometer.

The Bend sensor as you can see in the Picture has two contacts or legs due to which it can be easily used with the Breadboard, but Personally, I recommend soldering jumper wires with these two contacts is the better option, as it can be then easily interfaced with the Arduino Uno or Mega.

It’s Working Principle as I said is just like the normal variable resistor or Potentiometer, with the only difference; that is the Bend sensor resistance changes with the bend while the variable resistor or potentiometer resistor, resistance changes as we rotate the knob. There are also some other types of the Bend sensor, but the one you can see on the screen is the Conductive Ink-based Bend sensor.

For the Step by Step Interfacing of the Bend sensor Watch Video Tutorial “Click Here”

Arduino Flex Sensor Programming:

For the step by step program explanation watch video Tutorial “Click Here”

int flexs = A0; // flex sensor is connected with analog pin A0
int data = 0; 

int led = 13; 
void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600); 
  pinMode(flexs, INPUT);
pinMode(led, OUTPUT);   
}

void loop()
{
  data = analogRead(flexs); 
  Serial.println(data); 
  
  if( data <= 200) 
  {
   digitalWrite(led, HIGH);  
  }
  
    if( data > 200) 
  {
   digitalWrite(led, LOW);  
  }
  delay(1000); 
}