Low-cost Quasi-distributed position sensing platform based on blue fluorescent optical fiber

Abstract

Fluorescent optical fibers are used in a variety of sensing applications. In this work, we propose a novel position sensor implemented with a blue fluorescent optical fiber and a spectrometer. The novelty and advantage of the proposed solution is that it performs sensing at only one fiber end. Side-illumination of the fiber generates fluorescence with 3 spectral peaks. For distances up to 40 cm, fluorescence intensity varies with the distance between the spectrometer and the incidence point. For distances larger than 40 cm, axial application of incident light via fiber bending changes the fluorescence spectrum. Accordingly, the position of the incident light source is determined by joint monitoring of the fluorescence wavelength and intensity.