Stackmat timer and gloves

[Parity]

So I was making a video of a solve with my baseball gloves and I put my hands on the timer and noticed the light wouldn't start,So I took the gloves off and then the timer worked.Can someone explain this to me? Because I thought it was touch sensitive.

 

[Stefan]

Apparently, electricity doesn't flow well through your baseball gloves. Soak them in water, try again.

 

[BowDown2Gir]

Or maybe theyre HEAT SEEKING! Take them apart and make HOMING MISSLES!!!!!

 

[Stefan]

Here's my thread again showing the inside of the stackmat, that might help understanding it:
http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19395&highlight=inside+stackmat

 

[Kabuthunk]

The first thing that comes to mind to solve this issue would be to position the timer mat so that your wrists/forearms rest on it. That should give it the contact it needs, I'd imagine, and go from there.

 

[Cride5]

I'm pretty sure my Stackmat works through electrical conductance between the two pads, but I'm not sure if the same mechanism is used in all models. More discussion here.

 

[ove]

The detection is very certainly based on capacitive sensing, which detects parasitic capacitance due to the presence of the finger. Principle is explained here in the AN1101 pdf:
http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1824&appnote=en531112

Basically, the parastic capacitance is due to ionic loads in the blood, so it won't work without direct contact with the skin.

 

[Stefan]

I'm pretty sure my Stackmat works through electrical conductance between the two pads

No, the two pads work individually. It registers single pad touching as can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj_J42mBATY#t=36

Those two lines in each pad need to be connected:

Spoiler

Basically, the parastic capacitance is due to ionic loads in the blood, so it won't work without direct contact with the skin.

Pretty sure it still works with a sheet of paper between skin and pad.

 

[Rikane]

I thought everyone knew this... I remember a big discussion about it in the past.

 

[Escher]

Pretty sure it still works with a sheet of paper between skin and pad.

Mine still works with a book between skin and pad on each hand.

EDIT: It also still works with 2 credit cards in the same way.

 

[Muesli]

It works in the same way as an Ipod Touch iirc, via electricity sent through the top layer of the skin. There are some gloves you can get that have silver sewn into the fingertips, allowing them to be used with the Ipod. I'm sure they would work here too.

 

[linkmaster03]

Yeah, I've heard that people just sew a little bit of conductive thread into the tip of their glove to use with touchscreens, so you can do the same thing for this.