I'm having trouble finding a specific component for a project I'm working on. What I need is a sensor that can act as a hinge (or can measure the rotation of a hinge) and tells the degree of rotation between the two planes on either side of the hinge. It needs to read from 0-100ish degrees. I've looked at various sensors with knobs, and I don't think they could solely support the weight being put on the hinge. Has anyone ever worked with a piece like this? Any tips or workarounds are greatly appreciated.
Arduino hinge rotation sensor
arduinorotarysensor
Best Answer
Your answer pretty much depends on your precise mechanical arrangement. If you can work it out such that a potentiometer can be turned as your hinge opens, that might be your easiest bet. A rotary encoder, either absolute, or relative (with some mechanism to track where zero is) would be another fair option.
If there is no way to work a potentiometer or encoder in to your mechanical arrangement, then perhaps you can build some mechanical arrangement where you can measure how much string gets pulled from a string potentiometer.
It short, your options are limitless, and really come down to the mechanical situation. I think to get a meaningful answer, photos or drawings of the specific situation are necessary.