pressure
Load-cells are expensive devices....and cumbersome to implement. The application is neither ratiometric nor quantitative.
A simple 'spring switch should justify the present necessity, However if one wants to be state-of-art, Several Peizo-Presure sensors are in vogue, at the present moment.
It is a simple excercise, I think, to fabricate a mechanical/electromechanical/electrostatic, Magnetostrictive, Inductive, Resistive, Photo=electric, Piezo-electric, .....and many more innovative/cheap alternatives (under the traditional 99c banner) to the suggested technological wonders (translate= expemsive).
I could elaborate if sufficient interest is expressed.....