Optical Fiber Specklegram Sensor for Probe Position Tracking

Abstract

Monitoring the position of a robotic probe tip is crucial for industrial and biomedical applications. This work proposes an optical fiber sensor to assess the probe movement over a 2D workspace based on the output speckle pattern changes. A data fusion algorithm combines probabilistic distribution function models to estimate the probe tip position, yielding 1.3 mm resolution and an average error of 4.6 mm, for characterization and validation tests, respectively. The system is non-intrusive, easy-to-implement, and suitable for integration with rigid and soft robots.