How to Select the Right Sensors for Your Wearable

If you're building your own wearable device, either as a DIY project or otherwise, the first thing that should be readily apparent is that there's no shortage of sensors available to you.

To help get you started, Make has created a handy online
guide to the major types of sensors used for wearable devices, including flex, force, stretch, movement, heart rate, proximity, and more. The guide, “Ready to Wearable: How to Select and Use Sensors” gives you an overview of all the sensor types and points you at some DIY projects that made clever use of each.

When working with sensors, a good place to start is to think about what you’re trying to sense. What is the motion, action, or condition? What is the context and environment? What are the important aspects to consider? Then you can ask questions like these:

MORE FROM DESIGN NEWS:
6 Considerations for Designing a Wearable Device

The guide is excerpted from Make's book, Make: Wearable Electronics, which introduces readers to the world of wearable electronics and the tools and techniques for creating your own wearable device.

Read the full guide over at
Make.

Chris Wiltz is the Managing Editor of Design News.