Research on fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perots bending sensor based on principal component analysis

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Optical fiber sensors offer advantages like small size and biocompatibility, making them suitable for hand motion tracking.
• Existing sensors may have limitations in adaptability and multiplexing capabilities for complex applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and demonstrate a multi-core fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perots (FBG-FPs) sensor for enhanced hand motion tracking.
• To investigate the sensor's performance in strain, temperature, and bending detection.
• To develop a signal demodulation method for accurate curvature and direction reconstruction.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a multi-core fiber sensor with inscribed Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) acting as Fabry-Perots (FPs).
• Utilized thermal diffusion technology for single-channel acquisition.
• Implemented a principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm for signal demodulation.

Main Results:

• The sensor demonstrated strong dependence on bending, with a maximum sensitivity of 52.8 pm/m^-1.
• Bending direction and curvature were successfully reconstructed using wavelength shifts analyzed by PCA.
• The sensor showed potential for multiplexing sensing capabilities.

Conclusions:

• The developed FBG-FPs sensor offers a compact, low-cost solution for hand motion tracking.
• It enhances adaptability for optical fiber smart gloves and improves multiplexing sensing.
• The sensor shows significant promise for human-machine interfaces and medical health monitoring.