Waterproof Floating Slider Using Dual Strain Sensors

The patent extracts the sensitive electronic components (strain sensors) from the external environment and places them inside a sealed housing, while only the durable elongated pad extends outward for user interaction. This separation allows the sensing elements to be protected from water and harsh environments, eliminating the need for complex sealing mechanisms around the sensors themselves.

The patent replaces traditional mechanical floating slider mechanisms with strain sensors that detect force application through electrical signals. This substitution eliminates mechanical wear and complex sealing requirements, as the strain sensors can be hermetically sealed and still provide precise position detection through electrical measurement rather than mechanical movement.

The patent divides the sensing function into two separate strain sensors positioned at opposite ends of the elongated pad, each measuring force in its local region. By segmenting the measurement task across multiple simple sensors rather than using one complex sensor, the system achieves high position detection precision through differential measurement while keeping individual sensor complexity low.

The patent combines the outputs of two simple strain sensors to achieve a measurement precision that would be difficult to obtain with a single sensor. By merging the signals from both ends of the pad, the system can accurately determine the position of force application along the entire length of the pad, effectively combining multiple simple measurements into a precise positional reading.