MIT News breed · Science

Shape-Sensing Sheet Digitally Tracks Its Movement

MIT engineers have created a flexible sheet embedded with optical fibers that can digitally reconstruct its own shape as it bends and twists.

Unlike existing motion-capture systems that use rigid sensors, this new design employs multiple soft optical fibers arranged in a zig-zag pattern within a stretchable sheet. When the sheet deforms, the fibers bend, altering the light patterns passing through them. An algorithm interprets these changes to create a real-time digital replica of the sheet's form.

The researchers developed specially modified optical fibers. By intentionally roughening one side of the fiber's core, they created a bidirectional sensor. Bending the fiber in different directions affects the light scattering differently, allowing the algorithm to determine the precise curvature.

The team demonstrated that the sheet's shape-sensing capabilities remain accurate even if some fibers are damaged. This resilience is a key advantage for practical applications.

Potential uses include soft, wearable garments for controlling virtual characters or robots, and applications in physical therapy to monitor patient mobility and range of motion during rehabilitation.

The developed shape-sensing sheet achieved an error rate of less than 0.4 centimeters in tests, outperforming existing designs based on rigid sensors which have errors around 1 to 2 centimeters.

Future work aims to further refine the design by thinning the optical fibers and embedding more of them to capture more detailed shape changes, potentially enhancing physical therapy assessments and patient progress tracking.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.