A sensing element based on 3D imperfected polymer optical fibre

An exploratory study of a displacement sensor based on a bent imperfected plastic optical fibre is presented. The preliminary experimental results demonstrate the new concept of 3D imperfections implemented on a polymer optical fibre (POF) as a sensing element. The results confirm that the sensitivity of the sensor is significantly changed when using imperfections with a different abrasion angle, imperfection location angle, imperfection displacement and V-groove cavity depth. This technique demonstrates the feasibility of developing a new generation of fibre optic displacement sensors.