Thursday 27 October 2016

switches - Thin, flat pressure switch


I am trying to build a keyboard sewn into a shirt and since there doesn't seem to be any suitable flat (and thin) pressure switches I will need to DIY one. Here is my idea for a pressure plate viewed from the side:



Pressure plate


The orange parts are conductive layers and the grey ones are some form of elastomers (perhaps rubber?) to push the conductors apart. When the user touches the plate the conductive layers meet and form a circuit.



  1. What is the best material for the conductive layers? Copper?

  2. How many cycles can I expect before the sensor breaks?

  3. Do I need to worry about tinpest, oxidation or similar problems?

  4. Is it better to use high or low voltage? Would 3v work?


My biggest worry is durability since I know that making a good, tough switch is hard. Obviously a hall effect sensor would be the best choice but I don't think it would work on such a small scale.


Another approach is to use conductive fabric like this: http://www.instructables.com/id/Three-Fabric-Buttons/step4/Making-holes/



Would that be more durable compared to my idea?


Or are there any better ways to solve this problem? At first I looked into piezo transducers but they can only detect taps and I need to know if the user is holding down a button.




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