whiskers for the flatpack walker

So much for the ‘paws’, on to the whiskers. I used old guitar string which is very flexible (but does not permanently deform that easy) so it stays in shape nicely. The switch is made out of one loop of wire which normally does not touch the feeler-wire. As soon as the feeler is bended by an obstacle, it will touch the loop, making electrical contact.

The wiring to the arduino or ottantotto is quite easy too. See the schematic below:

A resistor and LED are soldered at the positive side. As soon as the switch makes contact, the LED will light up, and a low (0) will be sent to the microcontroller.