This project is currently in progress, so related media and documentation are limited at this time as the system is still being developed, tested, and refined.
The ski pressure testing system uses distributed load-cell sensing to measure force distribution along a mounted ski. Each sensing module consists of a load cell connected to an HX711 analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Eight HX711 ADCs are connected to a single Arduino Nano, and a total of fifteen Arduino Nano boards are used to collect load-cell measurements across the system.
A separate Arduino is dedicated to actuator control, managing the extension of a linear actuator used to apply controlled force to the ski. All microcontrollers are connected to a laptop through a powered USB hub. The laptop software aggregates weight readings from the sensor network, generates a pressure-distribution graph of the ski, and monitors the applied force in real time during actuator extension to ensure the desired load is applied.