Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!news.Brown.EDU!agate!library.ucla.edu!csulb.edu!csus.edu!netcom.com!pplante
From: pplante@netcom.com (P. Plantec)
Subject: FYI robotic sensing - pressure, sound
Message-ID: <pplanteCKs636.58p@netcom.com>
Summary: Kynar film is pizoelectric film for touch sensitivity 
Keywords: touch
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
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Date: Sun, 6 Feb 1994 02:11:29 GMT
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You might want to experiment with an interesting material that you may 
not have considered for sensing pressure.  Now this stuff is very 
sensitive, It can detect if you breath on it.  It's called Kynar film.  
It comes in 1.5x1.5 patches about as think as apiece of 
paper...flexable.  It's a little tricky attaching leads to this 
pizoelectric material, you may have to use self-adhesive aluminum tape or 
even rivets and something like 28 gage wire.  Conductive Ink also works.  
Once you have the thing hooked up, it will act as a microphone, a buzzer 
or a touch indicator.  It outputs an electrical voltage which is 
proportional to the pressure on it's surface. 

	It's a polyvinylidenefluoride semi-crystalline polymer with 
piezoelectric characteristics.  It's available from Penwalt at (215) 
666-3500 in Valley Forge PA (POB 799,zip 19482)


-- 
************************************************************************
Peter Plantec                                     DreamScape Prods      
Beverly Hills, CA                                 Movies in the Mind
pplante@netcom.com                                Gargleing at the
                                                  fountain of Knowledge
