Let me echo DK at this point. Simple resistance sheeting will not work, it can't do 'multi touch'
Add to that identify what's placed on it.
Have you thought of something like **broken link removed**?
In order for something like this to work you'd have to use 'smart' pieces. But the play surface itself would have to be a complex grid of resistive branches to provide voltage refrence for X/Y position and a grid of simple conductors to provide the pieces with power (batteries would be stupid)
I have a computerized chess set, it takes a MUCH simpler approach. Each 'square' is a simple membrane type touch sheet. You press the piece you want to move down, pick it up and press it down on the new square, works great. It 'knows' what piece is being moved by the initial starting conditions and has a method to set up pre-set conditions
Did you learn about graphite from a list?
Are there thin sheets of material on the market that have resistance levels - comparable to resistors, which vary in a well defined relation to units of distance?
The X/Y conductive grid lines are the hard part. good idea for the piece having unique resistance, can let them be a binary sequence. You'd need 32 bit accuracy for a chess set though...
Simple X - Y conductive grid lines with each piece having its own unique resistance signature.
At each grid wire crossing a simple non conductive film is placed between them.
By measuring the circuit voltage of each grid line on each axis one at a time a map can be made of whats siting where. Common touch screen mapping technique from way back.
Just add the variable resistance factor in to know what is where.
It will take a micro processor to do the mapping and grid line switching and voltage measuring but it will give what you need.
Think of it as a dot matrix light system only back wards. Instead of telling what row and column and what intensity to put out, you measure rows and columns and what resistance is found at what point.
Uhmmmm...I kind of "learned" about graphite making carbon arc lamps using #1 pencil lead as the carbon rods. Fun but, not overly practical.
Depending on the level of sophistication you are willing to deal with (assuming that you are indeed serious about actually building your project), you might want to start with a digitizing tablet. They've not only figured out the X-Y positioning, they also have a pressure sensor in their stylus.
FRYS.com*|*Aiptek
Usually, they have a clear overlay that allows you to put stuff you want to trace under.
You'd have to find out what the implications are of using multiple pieces at once (if that's needed for your game) but, I'm sure there would be ways to code the pieces to avoid interaction. You know, sort of like being able to connect many USB devices to a computer and having them sorted out and operated independently even when they are connected to random USB ports.
Again, I have to question if you're both serious about doing this and if you have the skills...or if you just got a wild notion that you are trying to figure out. If your intention is to actually try to build it, at some point you really do need to stop picking people's brains and gather up some parts and do some experimenting. There's actually quite a lot you can try with simple, home-made and inexpensive components and parts.
Just a thought. I wonder if a triangular sheet might actually allow you to "triangulate" a position by sensing the resistances from the game piece relative to the "corners". Or maybe if the measurement, on a square sheet, could be multiplexed to alternately measure the resistance up and down and then left to right so that you might calculate the position.
The point is, that there are ways to apprach this (including pooh-poohing it) and, while it's not something I'm tempted to do at this time, is not an uninteresting idea.
Smallest copper wire you can find and clear tape!
Lay out your grid without the tape and then roll it smooth with a big roller and steel plate if possible. That will flatten out the points where the wires intersect. Then reassemble with the tape so that the crossing points dont conduct to each other.
Its just a theoretical idea though.
SO what exactly is this thing your making and how small are the playing pieces?
If things get to small human dexterity can get to be a problem. With under inch square spacing pick and place can get difficult for complex games.
Look at standard checkers or chess boards there is a reason they keep the spaces typically rather large.
Us bigger built German/Scandinavian/Russian folks have index finger widths around 3/4 of an inch and thumbs around an inch!
We dont like tiny toys!Cell phones, car radios, TV remotes. ugh.. to small of buttons to close together.
At a certain level of complexity optical scanning and bar code recognition may become a more practical method of sensing.
The reason why I asked about the list was because I was experimenting with the idea of measuring resistance as a function of distance with direct current in two dimensions.
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