Shape-sensing sheet digitally tracks its movement as it bends and twists
Developed by MIT engineers, this flexible material could be used as a wearable, motion-monitoring “skin” in physical therapy, virtual reality, and gaming.
MIT engineers have designed a flexible, shape-sensing sheet that can digitally reconstruct its own form as it bends and twists. Unlike motion-capture garments that use rigid sensors, this design employs multiple soft optical fibers woven throughout a soft and stretchable sheet. When the sheet bends, the fibers bend as well, altering the pattern of light traveling through them. The researchers developed an algorithm to interpret these bending light patterns in real-time, generating a digital image of the sheet's movement.
The team's approach is safer for human interaction and soft environments, as even if a few fibers are damaged, the remaining ones can still accurately reconstruct the sheet's overall shape. The concept was inspired by waveguides, used in optical cables for efficient data transmission, and has been adapted to serve as shape sensors. By modifying the fibers' core with a roughened side, the researchers created a bidirectional shape sensor, which differs in light transmission depending on the bending direction.
The team fabricated these modified fibers and integrated them into a soft silicone sheet, arranging them to capture the sheet's shape as it deforms. Through simulations and light measurements, they developed an algorithm to convert the fiber data into a digital representation of the sheet's 3D shape, which closely matched the original shape.
This shape-sensing sheet could find applications in gaming, virtual reality, and physical therapy, allowing users to interact with digital characters or monitor patients' mobility and range of motion during rehabilitation.
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