Research on Reconstruction Method of 3-D Cable Shape Based on MEMS-IMU

Three-dimensional (3-D) shape monitoring is essential to prevent fatigue damage to cables. It can be challenging to monitor certain unique functional cables over time with conventional optical or acoustic techniques (such as underwater cables, umbilical cables, etc.). As a result, the cable is compared to a space curve in this article, and a method for reconstructing curves using a MEMS-IMU array is suggested. This method is less disturbed by the surrounding environment with low cost for long-distance and long-term use. After solving some technical issues, such as reconstruction algorithm and error, we applied the whole system to the submarine landing cable to evaluate the fatigue state of the submarine cable by quantifying cable displacement. The results demonstrate that in harsh weather, the cable’s local movement is significant, which could wear the armor.