MIT builds soft 3D shape-sensing skin using optical fibers

MIT engineers have developed a soft wearable sheet with embedded optical fibers that tracks its own 3D shape with error under half a centimeter. The technology could control games, VR and physical therapy, and was detailed in Advanced Intelligent Systems.

• 14 fibers of 160 mm each in two layers inside a 16×16×0.5 cm silicone sheet
• Shape reconstruction error measured 0.28–0.45 cm in tests
• Error stays under 0.3 cm with up to three of 14 fibers disabled
• MATLAB reconstruction runs about three times per second