• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 2023

Innovative and advanced technologies, including robots, augmented reality, virtual reality, the Internet of Things, and wearable medical equipment, have largely emerged as a result of the rapid evolution of modern society. For these applications, pressure monitoring is essential and pressure sensors have attracted considerable interest. To improve the sensor performance, several new designs of pressure sensors have been researched based on resistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, optical, and triboelectric types. In particular, optical pressure sensors have been actively studied owing to their advantages, such as robustness to noise and remote sensing capability. Herein, a review of recent research on optical pressure sensors with self-powered sensing, remote sensing, high spatial resolution, and multimodal sensing capabilities is presented from the viewpoints of design, fabrication, and signal processing.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.279-282
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• 2020

In this study, body pressure was quantitatively detected using built-in optical sensors, inside an air cushion seat. The proposed system visualizes the effect of the body pressure distribution on the air cushion seat. The built-in sensor is based on the time-of-flight (ToF) optical method, instead of the conventional electrical sensor. A ToF optical sensors is attached to the bottom surface of the air-filled cells in the air cushion. Therefore, ToF sensors are durable, as they do not come in physical contact with the body even after repeated use. A ToF sensor indirectly expresses the body pressure by measuring the change in the height of the air-filled cell, after being subjected to the weight of the body. An array of such sensors can measure the body pressure distribution when the user sits on the air cushion seat. We implemented a prototype of the air cushion seat equipped with 7 ToF optical sensors and investigated its characteristics. In this experiment, the ToF optical pressure sensor successfully identified the pressure distribution corresponding to a sitting position. The data were accessed through a mobile device.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.697-707
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• 2019

This review paper deals with materials, classification, and a current article investigation on smart textile sensors for wearable vital signs monitoring (WVSM). Smart textile sensors can lose electrical conductivity during vital signs monitoring when applying them to clothing. Because they should have to endure severe conditions (bending, folding, and distortion) when wearing. Imparting electrical conductivity for application is a critical consideration when manufacturing smart textile sensors. Smart textile sensors fabricate by utilizing electro-conductive materials such as metals, allotrope of carbon, and intrinsically conductive polymers (ICPs). It classifies as performance level, fabric structure, intrinsic/extrinsic modification, and sensing mechanism. The classification of smart textile sensors by sensing mechanism includes pressure/force sensors, strain sensors, electrodes, optical sensors, biosensors, and temperature/humidity sensors. In the previous study, pressure/force sensors perform well despite the small capacitance changes of 1-2 pF. Strain sensors work reliably at 1 ㏀/cm or lower. Electrodes require an electrical resistance of less than 10 Ω/cm. Optical sensors using plastic optical fibers (POF) coupled with light sources need light in-coupling efficiency values that are over 40%. Biosensors can quantify by wicking rate and/or colorimetry as the reactivity between the bioreceptor and transducer. Temperature/humidity sensors require actuating triggers that show the flap opening of shape memory polymer or with a color-changing time of thermochromic pigment lower than 17 seconds.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.761-767
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• 2007

We have developed novel optical-fiber sensors based on strain-induced long-period fiber gratings for monitoring the deformation of a hull. They have no external pressure for sustaining the mechanical formed gratings. The pressure, which provides a force to form the periodic grating along the single mode fiber, was realized by the bonding strength of a photopolymer. To reduce the polarization dependency of the sensors caused by the asymmetry structure of gratings, a Faraday Rotator Mirror (FRM) was utilized in this experiment. We have realized the polarization-insensitive function of the proposed sensors. The change of an external strain are measured by an optical spectrum analyzer. When the external stain increases. the attenuation at the resonant wavelength decreases and the loss peak was slightly shifted to the shorter wavelength.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.17-20
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• 2005

In-situ structural health monitoring of filament wound pressure tanks were conducted during water-pressurizing test using embedded fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. We need to monitor inner strains during working in order to verify the health condition of pressure tanks more accurately because finite element analyses on filament wound pressure tanks usually show large differences between inner and outer strains. Fiber optic sensors, especially FBG sensors can be easily embedded into the composite structures contrary to conventional electric strain gages (ESGs). In addition, many FBG sensors can be multiplexed in single optical fiber using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) techniques. We fabricated a standard testing and evaluation bottle (STEB) with embedded FBG sensors and performed a water-pressurizing test. In order to increase the survivability of embedded FBG sensors, we suggested a revised fabrication process for embedding FBG sensors into a filament wound pressure tank, which includes a new protecting technique of sensor heads, the grating parts. From the experimental results, it was demonstrated that FBG sensors can be successfully adapted to filament wound pressure tanks for their structural health monitoring by embedding.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.3-9
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• 2006

Among many fabrication methods of composite materials, filament winding is the most effective method for fabricating axis-symmetric structures such as pressure tanks and pipes. Filament wound pressure tanks are under high internal pressure during the operation and it has the complexity in damage mechanisms and failure modes. Fiber optic sensors, especially FBG sensors can be easily embedded into the composite structures contrary to conventional electric strain gages (ESGs). In addition, many FBG sensors can be multiplexed in single optical fiber using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) techniques. In this paper, we fabricated several filament wound pressure tanks with embedded FBG sensors and conducted some kinds of experiments such as an impact test, a bending test, and a thermal cycling test. From the experimental results, it was successfully demonstrated that FBG sensors are very appropriate to composite structures fabricated by filament winding process even though they are embedded into composites by multiplexing.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.449-454
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• 2006

We present a pressure sensor based on the mechanically induced long-period fiber gratings (LPFG) for detecting the multi-location strain variation. The theoretical analysis is performed using a graphic method for a weakly guiding step-index fiber. The calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental results. In this study, from the fact that the optical parameters of a single-mode fiber slightly differ from manufacturing company to manufacturing company, the multipoint pressure-detection sensor systems composed two identical LPFGs are realized. When the pressure is applied two LPFG sensors at once, the resonance peaks are separated as much as about 40 nm. These types of sensor systems are well suited as a multipoint monitoring of strain or temperature in the ship or the smart structure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 1999.11a
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• pp.251-257
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• 1999

Smart structure that contains sensors, which are either embedded in a composite material or attached to a structure, is currently receiving considerable attention. Fiber Bragg grating sensor, one of the optical fiber sensors, has been widely used to sense strain and temperature for smart structures since both parameters change the resonant frequency of the grating. In this paper, according to the various heating and cooling conditions the thermal behavior of unidirectional composite material was monitored by embedding the fiber Bragg grating sensors in the longitudinal and transverse directions of unidirectional composites. The thermal behavior of unidirectional composite material was monitored for various heating and cooling rates and applied pressure. It was found that the thermal behavior was unaffected by pressure variations and heating and cooling rates applied to the composites. The thermal strains were measured by considering the shift in Bragg wavelength that was generated by the thermal expansion of composite specimen. The longitudinal and transverse C.T.E.'s were also obtained from the corresponding temperature-thermal strain curves.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.105-110
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• 2007

This work reports the pulse diagnosis system using FBG sensors which can display pulse signals detected while oriental medical doctors are conducting pulse diagnoses and simultaneously pressing the sensors by three fingers. Each optical fiber has five FBG sensing units fabricated in 2 mm width and 2 mm inter-sensor spacing. Three optical fibers with the FBG units in the parallel line configuration are then placed on each finger-pressing region and thus overall 9 fibers are used for the pulse measurements on the so-called "chon", "gwan", and "ch대k". A fixture holding the optical fiber arrays is able to adjust the height of the FBG sensing units while placing the fibers on the wrist. The pulse signals detected by the FBG sensors from chon, kwan, and chuk have been analyzed using 4 channel spectrum analyzer connected to the optical fibers. The measured pulse signals exhibit variations due to the nonuniform pressure distributions applied. resulting in the differences in the detected pulse signals between fiber lines. However. this work is the first step towards objective and quantitative analyses of the pulse diagnosis in oriental medicine which has traditionally been performed on subjective basis. Future works will be devoted to improving sensor stability, developing the way applying pressure and algorithms reporting the objective classification of the pulse status from systemic measurements using the sensors instead of relying on the clinicians' diagnoses subjectively performed. A successful pulse diagnosis system emerging in the future is expected to contribute to education as well as promoting pulse diagnosis in oriental medicine to the scientific research area.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.25-28
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• 2005

The optical fiber is known for the proper sensor which can accomplish the structural health monitoring, Fiber Bragg Grating sensors are being studied more than any other fiber optic sensors due to good multiplexing capabilities. But because the signal stability of FBG sensors can be influenced by the strain gradient, it needs to analyze signal of FBG sensors. Particularly acoording to strain gradient induced by structural geometry or cracks, the spectrum peak of the FBG sensor signal can be split easily. In this paper, the spectrum analysis of the FBG sensor signal was performed and the region of embedment of FBG sensors was determined in $H_2$ pressure vessel by numerical method.