Patent ID: 6256090
Filing Date: 2001-07-03
Classification: G01B,G01V

Abstract:
A fiber optic shape measurement system comprising:a flexible body;a plurality of fiber optic measurement nodes coupled to said body and linearly displaced at preselected intervals along the length of said body, each said fiber optic measurement node including Bragg grating sensor means that is responsive to bending, axial deformation, torsion and temperature and adapted to output signals indicative thereof;a light source for inputting light into each of said fiber optic measurement nodes;multiplexing signal processing means connected to said fiber optic measurement nodes; anddata post processing and display means coupled to receive said output signals from said multiplexing signal processing means, said data post processing means including strain-to-shape stmctural analysis means for decoupling said output signals and, thereby, provide a real-time display of the shape of said body.