Load cells are sensors that detect force (mass, torque, etc.).
When force is applied to a load cell, it converts the force into an electrical signal. Load cells are also known as “load transducers,” because they convert a load (force) into electrical signals.
In the dictionary, a load cell is defined as a “weight measurement device necessary for electronic scales that display weights in digits.”
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.