"Sense-able Structures" Optical Fiber Sensors for Smart Materials and Structures

The use of optical fibers as sensors in advanced composites has led in part to the development of smart materials and structures during the past ten years. During those years, embedded and attached fiber sensors have been developed to monitor composite cure, determine structural behavior during use, and detect the onset of material degradation and damage. This internal sensing capability makes the structures made from such materials "sense-able structures." This discussion reviews this established technology, and focuses on recent developments and directions.