Load cells are sensors that detect force (mass, torque, etc.).
When force is applied to a load cell, it converts the force (load) into an electrical signal. Hence, they are also called "load transducers".
The dictionary definition of a load cell is “a weight measurement device essential for electronic scales that display weights digitally.”
The sensors that measure force include sensors that utilize springs or piezofilms, pressure elements, displacement sensors, as well as a variety of other sensors. There are also a number of different load cells. These include magnetostrictive load cells, capacitance load cells, gyro load cells, and strain-gauge load cells.
