Creating an Instillation- stepper motors / force sensors help.

Hey everyone.
Im a graduate student working on an instillation. The way that it works is that the floor has force sensors positioned in various positions. Those force sensors activate motors within our floor that will raise an inflated surface up and down depending on which sensor is activated.

:::code help:::
We are trying to make it so when you step on a force sensor we want the stepper to move up x amount of steps. If you are still standing on the force sensor then it continues to keep the inflated surface raised up. Once you step off of the force sensor we want to start a delay and then give a -step amount to the stepper.

If you look through our code so far we have the up and down movement tied to the force sensor. We are wanting to separate that movement into two different parts depending on if someone is stepping on the force sensor or not.

One thing that i know about stepper motors is that it blocks out all other operations until it has been completed. I started to bypass that by making the steps alternate to make it appear they are both running at the same time.

Parts List:
6 ardunios
12 stepper motors
10 1.5" force sensors.

The code will only be for two motors at a time since thats what we can hook up to the arduinos. We have looked into shields but it would raise the cost for us to get them in time.

The code only needs to be for 1 to 2 motors. The most important thing is that when you stand on the sensor, the motor turns on to raise the surface. While still standing on it. It stays at the top. Once you get off of it it starts a 3 second delay then it goes back down.

Can anyone give me some guidance on how to proceed. Ideas, theories of how it could work or things that i should do some more research into to get this working.

#include <Stepper.h>

const int stepsPerRevolution = 200;  //number of steps for 1 rotation. 
boolean stepCnt = true; // not being used now, but i feel it will so the motor doesnt continue to rotate while being pressed.


//telling whats pins each stepper goes into
// initialize the stepper library on pins 8 through 11:
Stepper myStepper(stepsPerRevolution, 8,9,10,11);      
// initialize the stepper library on pins 3, 5, 6, 7:
Stepper myStepper2(stepsPerRevolution, 7,6,5,3);   

void setup() {
  // sets the RPM of the motors

  myStepper.setSpeed(100);
  myStepper2.setSpeed(100);

  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {

  //Force sensor pin assignment
  int fSensor1 = analogRead(A0);
  int fSensor2 = analogRead(A1);

  // getting values from the sensors
  const unsigned sensorVal1 = (fSensor1);
  const unsigned sensorVal2 = (fSensor2);

  Serial.println(fSensor1);

  //motors rotate 3.5" per 200 steps 

  // Force Sensor motor control
  // i < _____ = how many steps. ex. 200 steps = 1 rotation.

  //sensor 1 controls
  if(sensorVal1 < 900 && sensorVal1 >= 500){

    // i < _____ = how many steps. ex. 200 steps.
    for(int i = 0; i < 600; i++){
      sMotor1(1,0);
      sMotor2(-1,0);
    }
  }

  //sensor 2 controls
  if(sensorVal2 < 900 && sensorVal2 >= 500){
    for(int i = 0; i < 600; i++){
      sMotor1(1,0);
      sMotor2(1,0);
    }
  }
}


//setting up the motors
//there will be 12 of these

void sMotor1(int steps, int del){
  myStepper.step(steps);
  delay(del);
}

void sMotor2(int steps, int del){
  myStepper2.step(steps); 
  delay(del);
}

We are trying to make it so when you step on a force sensor we want the stepper to move up x amount of steps.

Is x 0 or 4462375372587258248248646982469? Details matter. A great deal.

How does rotating the stepper equal inflating anything?

One thing that i know about stepper motors is that it blocks out all other operations until it has been completed.

it? What is it? What is the second it? Do not use pronouns that have no referents.

The Stepper library blocks until the commanded number of steps has been accomplished. The AccelStepper library does not.

Stepper myStepper(stepsPerRevolution, 8,9,10,11);      
// initialize the stepper library on pins 3, 5, 6, 7:
Stepper myStepper2(stepsPerRevolution, 7,6,5,3);

That's as far as I read. If you are going to give useless names to the instances, and number them, number both of them.