Fiber optic sensor for joint angle measurement

Miniaturized joint-angle sensors are required, among other applications, for neuromuscular stimulation prosthetic systems, in order to determine the finger position and provide feedback control. A fiber-optic transducer design for this purpose is proposed. Light passing through a joint between two fibers undergoes intensity modulation due to the angular misalignment between them. This intensity change, recorded as a voltage change by a photodiode, is then used as a measure of the joint angle of the finger on which the sensor is placed.<
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