Optical Fiber Specklegram Bending Sensor for Application in Soft Robotics

This work presents a straightforward, low-cost method for assessing the deflection of flexible elements to envisage applications in the field of soft robotics. The sensor comprises an optical fiber specklegram transducer coupled to a cantilever-type manipulator. The results yield absolute sensitivities of 0.37 N-1 and 0.05 cm(-1) concerning force and deflection measurements, respectively, with a good agreement between simulation and experimental validation.