Shape Sensing in Soft Robots Using Optical Fibers

  • Summary

    I am part of a small team working on implementing a novel shape sensing technique for soft vine robots which uses optical fibers to measure strain along the length of the robot. Using Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, this strain data is used to sense local curvature of the body. We are working on developing the hardware & software for this technique, quantifying its accuracy, and optimizing the process of manufacturing it.

  • Skills

    CAD (SolidWorks); Programming (MATLAB, Python); Technical writing; Experimental design and procedure

  • Achievements

    I was awarded a four-figure research grant by the Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement through a competitive application process.

  • Team Size

    3 (myself, a graduate student mentor, and Dr. Margaret Coad)

  • Category

    Research

  • Lab

    Innovative Robotics and Interactive Systems Lab

  • Full Research

    I am working on authoring an academic journal article detailing this work. Stay tuned!