Long Flex sensor(sparkFun)

Description  

This sensor can detect flexing or bending in one direction. They were popularized by being used in the Nintendo PowerGlove as a gaming interface.  

These sensors are easy to use, they are basically resistors that change value based on how much they're flexed. If they're unflexed, the resistance is about ~10KΩ. When flexed all the way the resistance rises to ~20KΩ. They're pretty similar to FSRs so following this tutorial will get you started. You can use an analog input on a microcontroller (with a pullup resistor) or a digital input with the use of a 0.1uF capacitor for RC timing.  

The bottom part of the sensor (where the pins are crimped on) is very delicate so make sure to have strain relief - such as clamping or gluing that part so as not to rip out the contacts!

Technical Details  

Dimensions:

• Length: 112.5mm/4.4in

• Width: 6.38mm/0.25in

• Thickness: 0.5mm/0.2in

• Weight: 0.5g/0.017g