How accurate are flex sensors?

Question

So for the project I am working on I plan on measuring very precise changes in angle, possibly up to 5 degrees of accuracy.

Are polymer ink sensors (the classic Nintendo power glove flex sensor) the way to go?
Can they really be that accurate or are there any other alternatives to measure bend on an attached apparatus pricisely?

The best way to know is to read the specs of the specific sensor. — Eugene Sh., Feb 04 '19 at 20:58
they are "accurate", but to what standard? Sounds like it's more a problem of precision. Can you use a magnet and hall-effect sensor instead? those don't wear-out... — dandavis, Feb 04 '19 at 21:34

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 04 '19 at 22:57

I think if the geometry is such that you can make the sensor flex exactly the same way for each motion, you can get 5 degree performance. If the goemetry moves around, you might not. You're likely somewhere in between these two cases. Sounds like a quick test is in order to determine if the method is worth putting more effort into.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 05 '19 at 12:20

They can be as accurate as measuring 5 degrees (depending on the configuration) but as long as you are willing to calibrate it, that is often the difficult bit. Make sure you set it up in such a way that you can replicate it and do your own tests. You may even be able to get it better than the requirements.

How accurate are flex sensors?

2 Answers2