As I mentioned elsewhere, Ive been working on a new way to collect sword impact data. Ive finally gotten the first version of the system working and wanted to share what Ive done. Unlike the various Machine systems this method is electronic, not mechanical. I purchased a Force Sensitive Resistor - a device that changes resistance as pressure on it changes. The actual sensor is about the size of a dime - perfect for mounting on the tip of a sword. (I used this sensor: https://sparkfun/products/8685). The FSR is connected to an Arduino microcontroller that measures the resistance at a frequency of 25 kHz and stores the data to an SD card in csv format. I then transfer the data to a computer where I can analyze it using any software appropriate. At the moment, I run it through a pre-processor that I wrote (mostly to strip out dead time) and then graph it in Excel. See image attached. This was the impact generated when I placed the sensor on the floor and hit it hard with a tipped shlager blade. This approach shows me a detailed image of the impact. Whats plotted here is conductance (1/resistance) which is proportional to the force. Thus, I can see not only peak force but the total energy transferred (area under the curve). In practice, I want to mount the sensor on the weapon and actually fence with it, so as to see how the impacts look when hitting squishy people and less squishy masks. Note also that right now this is showing arbitrary units. I need to calibrate the system to convert to actual pounds (or Newtons) of force. I also need to interpret the data - something Im not yet sure I know how to do. This gives me numbers, it doesnt tell me what they mean... But I think this will be useful for both the spear conversation and the reduced armor conversation. Lots of work remains, but the basic hardware and firmware are done. I plan to have a sensor-equipped weapon at coronation so folks can take a look. Comments, questions, and feedback much appreciated.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 03:36:12 +0000
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