Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
A Random-displacement Measurement by Combining a Magnetic Scale and Two Fiber Bragg Gratings
Published on: September 30, 2019
Shape Sensing of Continuum Manipulators with Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Arrays: Accounting for Actuator Velocity
Golchehr Amirkhani1, Xinran Liu2, Mehran Armand3
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA, and with the Laboratory of Biomechanical and Image Guided Surgical Systems, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218 USA.
None:
Tracking and controlling the shape of continuum dexterous manipulators (CDMs) in real time during non-constant curvature bending and straightening is still a challenging task. This study introduces a velocity-dependent shape reconstruction model using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, addressing velocity-dependent curvature discrepancies caused by the sensing unit sliding within the manipulator's channel. By incorporating these effects, the proposed model improves shape tracking accuracy across different velocities. Experimental validation in free and constrained environments at actuator velocities of 0.2, 0.8, and 1.4 mm/sec for positive and negative deflections demonstrated that the velocity-dependent model improves shape and tip tracking accuracy by 22% to 65% compared to the conventional model. Results show significant reduction in shape and tip deviations, making the model suitable for flexible surgical instruments.
