In approximately 100 words, this web content delves into the journey of creating the OptiGap sensor system as part of the author’s PhD research in a storytelling format. The sensor, designed for soft robotics, utilizes air gaps within optical light pipes for bend localization. The inception of the idea while experimenting with light transmission led to the development of a prototype utilizing clear TPU filament. The sensor system encodes bend positions using patterns of air gaps, akin to an absolute encoder. The author highlights the development process, reduction in sensor size, implementation of a naive Bayes classifier for data decoding, and real-time machine learning on a microcontroller.
https://paulbupejr.com/developing-the-optigap-sensor-system/