Abstract

This paper presents the development of temperature sensors based on fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) embedded in 3D-printed structures made of different materials, namely polylatic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). A numerical analysis of the material behavior and its interaction with the FBG sensor was performed through the finite element method. A simple, fast and prone to automation process is presented for the FBG embedment in both PLA and TPU structures. The temperature tests were made using both PLA- and TPU-embedded FBGs as well as an unembedded FBG as reference. Results show an outstanding temperature sensitivity of 139 pm/°C for the FBG-embedded PLA structure, which is one of the highest temperature sensitivities reported for FBG-based temperature sensors in silica fibers. The sensor also shows almost negligible hysteresis (highest hysteresis below 0.5%). In addition, both PLA- and TPU-embedded structures present high linearity and response time below 2 s. The results presented in this work not only demonstrate the feasibility of developing fully embedded temperature sensors with high resolution and in compliance with soft robot application requirements, but also show that the FBG embedment in such structures is capable of enhancing the sensor performance.

Highlights

  • The use of flexible or soft structures on the development of actuators, robots and devices is an emerging trend in the last few years [1]

  • We proposed an embedment in a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) structure, which has a Young’s modulus of about

  • This paper presents the development of a fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs)-embedded temperature sensor using additive layer manufacturing (ALM)

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Summary

Introduction

The use of flexible or soft structures on the development of actuators, robots and devices is an emerging trend in the last few years [1]. The so-called soft robotics involve the use of flexible fluidic actuators, shape memory materials, and electro active polymers as actuators in conjunction with rubbers, plastics and flexible cables, which result in a flexible robot [2]. These advantages are especially desirable in the development of wearable robots, where the robot can be optimally designed and controlled for each user, achieving the so-called human-in-the-loop design [3]. Due to their higher flexibility, such robots can be regarded as a safer solution in human–robot interaction factories or workplaces [5]

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