Sensing sail luffing by detection of sail shape

Sighted sailors rely on visual cues including telltales and the shape of the sail to trim for maximum efficiency during races. When a sail is trimmed improperly and airflow is no longer laminar, it begins to luff, losing the airfoil shape and flapping loosely. A long-term research project at Olin College has been working with a group of blind sailors to prototype a system that will help them race autonomously. One of the first challenges competitive sailors in the group proposed to Olin was to find a way for the system to detect and notify them of sail luffing because they could not see the sail luffing. Current methods of detecting luffing focus on sensing the repeated oscillation of the sail or the pressure differential across the sail. This paper explores using resistive flex sensors to detect the shape of the sail and rapidly determine whether the sail is luffing.