Wireless Sensor System Measures Force Data On Moving Objects

Innovative sensor and wireless technologies unite to create the ELF force-measurement system, which is used to remotely measure the force data created by moving objects. The ELF wireless system is the result of an alliance between Tekscan and SSI Wireless, who helped add wireless capability to Tekscan’s existing ELF measurement system.

Tekscan’s portable wireless ELF system provides a turnkey, user-friendly load measurement system that eliminates wires and enables a laptop or PC to quickly capture and store force data from an event up to 100 ft away. Wireless ELF combines ultra-thin (0.008 in.) FlexiForce single-element load sensors with wireless electronics and data analysis software (see the figure). The resulting system offers greater flexibility for force measurement applications involving mobile subjects or objects.

To extend Tekscan’s ELF sensing system with wireless functionality, the SSI hardware team engineered a small, battery-powered device to connect to Tekscan’s FlexiForce sensors using a low-cost ZigBee-ready RF radio. Simply plugging the device into an existing USB port on a desktop computer enables point-to-multipoint connectivity. SSI then extended the ELF software to communicate and accept data over the wireless connection.

The Wireless ELF system received an honorable mention at Sensors Expo 2006. Contact the company for more information.

Tekscan
www.tekscan.com

SSI Wireless
www.ssiwireless.com