A portable sensing apparatus includes an attachment mechanism to secure the portable sensing apparatus to an object, a communications module and a flexible sensor communicatively coupled to the communications module. The flexible sensor is configured to mechanically deform in accordance with a shape of the object and includes a pair of diffusion layers disposed between a pair of contact layers that distribute the force received along outer surfaces of the flexible sensor across the diffusion layers. The flexible sensor includes a sensing layer disposed between the diffusion layers. The diffusion layers normalize the force received from the contact layers across the sensing layer. The sensing layer receives the force at a plurality of locations across a surface area of the sensing layer to determine a resultant pressure applied to the flexible sensor, and the communications module transmits an electrical signal indicative of the resultant pressure to an external device.