Does human body capacitance change when floating vs. standing?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the concept of human body capacitance and whether it changes when a person is floating in mid-air compared to standing on the ground. Participants explore the implications of capacitance in relation to touchscreens and propose methods for detecting changes in capacitance based on body position.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether the human body capacitance, typically quoted at around 100pF, remains the same when floating in mid-air as opposed to standing on the ground.
  • Another participant suggests that it may not be necessary for the body to float in mid-air; measuring capacitance while jumping could suffice for the intended detection.
  • A participant notes that different surfaces, such as wet grass versus dry wood, could yield varying capacitance measurements, implying that environmental factors may influence results.
  • There is a suggestion that NASA's programs for experiments on the ISS could provide a framework for quantifying touchscreen responses in microgravity conditions.
  • Several participants express interest in the practical aspects of achieving a floating state, with one humorously asking for instructions on how to float in mid-air.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the necessity of floating versus jumping for capacitance measurement, and there is no consensus on how body capacitance is affected by different conditions or surfaces.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not fully explored the assumptions underlying capacitance measurements in different states, nor have they resolved the implications of environmental factors on those measurements.

mascail
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Hello guys,

I read some articles recently about how touchscreens work by using the capacitance in human bodies. I'v seen the human body capacitance is quoted at around 100pf, is it the same when the human body is floating in mid-air, as if it is standing on the ground? My goal is to detect through a capacitance sensor, (?which detects slight changes of capacitance in the body, when the body is not standing on the ground anymore?) or something like that, if a body is standing on the ground or floating mid-air.
 
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Please teach me how to float in mid-air.
 
GabDX said:
Please teach me how to float in mid-air.

For this particular problem, it would suffice to suspend the human from a long insulating string.
 
NASA has programs where schools design small experiments for astronauts on ISS to try out. This might be a good one if you could think of a way to quantify response of a touchscreen. Certainly seems like good information to have.

NASA National Lab
 
The human probably doesn't really need to float in mid-air. I think it would be enough if the measurements would be taken when he jumps.
 
I guess standing barefoot on a wet grass and standing on a dry wooden floor would give completely different results.
 

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