Vibration control of smart structures using an array of Fiber Bragg Grating sensors

Optical strain gauges, such as Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors, are widely used to monitor the health of structures and their state of deformation. This paper proposes exploiting the measurements of these sensors as feedback for active vibration control applications. The advantages of this solution are the possibility of monitoring a large number of sensors (to approximate distributed measurements) and of embedding them in carbon fiber structures with negligible load effects. Experimental tests confirm that smart structures with embedded FBG sensors can be profitably designed to suppress vibrations.