Disclosed are buried cable protection systems and methods that employ impulse signal detection by optical fiber sensing technologies, and which provide such protection automatically and in real-time. The methods theoretically model a time difference of arrival (TDoA) of an impulse wave travelling to a DFOS sensor fiber cable. A model employing a set of propagation relationships that account for vague knowledge about wave propagation speed and threat range(s) is fitted with parameters based on a numerical simulation—without specific knowledge of a source of vibration. As compared to vibration magnitude information, time of arrival (ToA) information is more consistent and less sensitive to ambiguities and inaccuracies. In addition, the model parameter can be adjusted adaptively when temporal resolution of the sensor changes or fluctuates. As a result, our inventive systems and methods effectively detect impulse signals from machines or other activities generating vibratory impulse ground events at different distances to a fiber optic cable and distinguish same from background noises including those caused by transportation modes such as train or vehicular traffic.

An ablation catheter system configured with a compact force sensor at a distal end for detection of contact forces exerted on an end effector. The force sensor includes fiber optics operatively coupled with reflecting members on a structural member. In one embodiment, the optical fibers and reflecting members cooperate with the deformable structure to provide a variable gap interferometer for sensing deformation of the structural member due to contact force. In another embodiment, a change in the intensity of the reflected light is detected to measure the deformation. The measured deformations are then used to compute a contact force vector. In some embodiments, the force sensor is configured to passively compensate for temperature changes that otherwise lead to erroneous force indications. In other embodiments, the system actively compensates for errant force indications caused by temperature changes by measuring certain local temperatures of the structural member.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward systems and methods for detecting force applied to a distal tip of a medical catheter. In some embodiments, a medical catheter with a deformable body near a distal tip of the catheter deforms in response to a force applied at the distal tip, and a sensor detects various components of the deflection. Processor circuitry may then, based on the detected components of the deformation, determine a force applied to the distal tip of the catheter.

An optical fiber includes multiple optical waveguides configured in the fiber. An interferometric measurement system mitigates or compensates for the errors imposed by differences in a shape sensing optical fiber's response to temperature and strain. A 3-D shape and/or position are calculated from a set of distributed strain measurements acquired for a multi-core optical shape sensing fiber that compensates for these non-linear errors using one or more additional cores in the multicore fiber that react differently to temperature changes than the existing cores.

A measuring system and method that computes and analyzes sensor data fused with multiple mechanical and thermally induced strain measurements is provided. Further, the measuring system and method realizes physics-based relations between sensor readings due to mechanical and thermal sources by optimally de-coupling a total strain into its mechanical and thermal components. The measuring system and method also auto-tunes coefficients involved in the optimal de-coupling equations using sensor specification data and previous system test results for initialization.

Described herein are systems and methods for determination of rolling resistance from a sensor or sensors in a tire or tires for application in smart cars to provide feedback to interested parties, such as Departments of Transportation or tire manufacturers.

An object detection device includes: an optical fiber at least partially including a sensor optical fiber configured to transmit light with a loss of 0.3 dB/m or more; and a light receiving unit configured to receive, from the optical fiber, the light received by the sensor optical fiber, wherein the object detection device is configured to detect an object based on an intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit.

A sensor pressing member to which a sensor is attached such that the sensor is exposed toward a measurement target. The sensor pressing member presses the sensor in a first direction relative to the measurement target to bring the sensor into contact with the measurement target. The sensor pressing member includes an elastic body positioned opposite the measurement target with the sensor in between in the first direction. The elastic body includes a cavity therein.

A method of providing a hybrid distributed fiber optic sensing system (DFOS) that extends an existing fiber optic telecommunications network thereby providing that existing fiber optic telecommunications network with DFOS capabilities. The method provides a length of fiber optic cable, wherein said fiber optic cable conveys communications traffic; provides a DFOS interrogator system in optical communication with the communications fiber optic cable; extends the length of communications fiber optic cable with first and second lengths of fiber optic sensory cable, and operates the DFOS interrogator system such that first sensory data is generated in the first length of fiber optic sensory cable and second sensory data is generated in the second length of fiber optic sensory cable and conveyed to the DFOS interrogator system via the communications fiber optic cable, wherein the first type of sensory data and the second type of sensory data is a type selected from the group consisting of acoustic data, temperature data, and vibration data and the first type of sensory data is not the same type as the second type of sensory data.

A method and system for utilizing integrated fiber optic sensors to provide continuous feedback. A method includes receiving sensor data from a plurality of fiber optic sensors, aggregating first fiber optic cables corresponding to the plurality of fiber optic sensors, and transmitting the sensor data through a second fiber optic cable to a connector.