Vehicle weigh-in-motion using multiplexed interferometric sensors

Abstract

The work reported here has indicated that interferometric fibre optic sensors are ideally suited when large numbers of in road sensors are required. We have demonstrated for the first time the in-road deployment of a multiplexed weigh-in-motion sensor array. Multiplexing studies using similar architectures have shown that by using a combination of spatial, time and wavelength division multiplexing it is possible to interrogate several hundred sensors on a single fibre. We also demonstrated that the feasibility of using the standard telecom fibre, within existing national highways communication system cables, to interrogate sensors over large distances, is viable.