Smart skins and fiber optic sensors: applications and issues

Smart skins technology is in its infancy, and significant workmust be accomplished to ensure that evolving fiber-optic sensor technology can be incorporated into smart skins concepts. This paper gives an overview of research into embedding optical fibers and sensors in composites. It also presents a concept for a fiber-optic sensor network embedded in aircraft skins to perform structural health monitoring and discusses issues, problems, and potential solutions encountered in bringing multiple technologies together.