Zero power consumption visual curvature sensor by flexible interferometer

A visual curvature sensor by using multilayer Fabry-Perot color interferometer and printing process was proposed and realized. Owing to the pure mechanical distortion of the interferometer by external force, the remotely visible color change, the enhancement of color contrast, and pattern contouring by automatic analytical systems, the curvature sensor provided high sensitivity with bending radius as large as 107.2 mm without any power consumption. This curvature sensor is designed especially suitable for monitoring applications such as in the vacuum or toxic environment. The simple printing process and structure design also made the curvature sensor eligible for mass low-cost production with variable sizes. The design concepts, process detail, and performance evaluations are introduced and discussed in this article.