Tactile sensing with fibre Bragg gratings and neural networks

  • B.M. Cowie

    Student thesis: Doctoral ThesisDoctor of Philosophy

    Abstract

    Fibre Bragg grating sensors are usually expensive to interrogate, and part of this thesis describes a low cost interrogation system for a group of such devices which can be indefinitely scaled up for larger numbers of sensors without requiring an increasingly broadband light source. It incorporates inherent temperature correction and also uses fewer photodiodes than the number or sensors it interrogates, using neural networks to interpret the photodiode data. A novel sensing arrangement using an FBG grating encapsulated in a silicone polymer is presented. This sensor is capable of distinguishing between different surface profiles with ridges 0.5 to 1mm deep and 2mm pitch and either triangular, semicircular or square in profile. Early experiments using neural networks to distinguish between these profiles are also presented. The potential applications for tactile sensing systems incorporating fibre Bragg gratings and neural networks are explored.
    Date of Award2008
    Original languageEnglish
    Awarding Institution
    • Aston University
    SupervisorDavid Webb (Supervisor)

    Keywords

    • fibre sensors
    • distributive tactile sensing
    • low cost interrogation
    • surface profile sensor

    Cite this

    '