Plastic Optical Fiber Angle Sensor for 1-D and 2-D Based On Cascading Of TMBC

Abstract The developed angle sensors are usually used for either clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction. Here, we present a relatively new setup of two angle sensors (1-D and 2-D) for independent and simultaneous clock and anti-clockwise rotation measurements. The proposed sensor is based on the twisted macro-bend coupling method (TMBC), in which two fibers are twisted and bent. The two-angle sensors are presented in which sensor-1 consists of a single twisted bend and sensor-2 contain two twisted bends on a single transmitting fiber. The angle measurement relies on the coupling of macro-bend loss. The stepper motor is used to drag the twisted fiber, resulting in a change in the bending radius that increases or decreases the macro-bend loss. A novel cascading method is introduced in the TMBC method for the sensor-2 and, two stepper motors are used in the second experiment. To prove the practicality, several test scenarios are conducted for both sensor configurations. The experimental results show that sensor-1 can measure angle ±180º, whereas the full clock and anti-clockwise cycle are achieved through sensor-2, having a measurement range is ±360º. Therefore, the proposed sensor can be a potential means for accurate angle measurement in industrial applications.