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Optical Processors For Smart Structures, Barry G. Grossman, Howard Hou, Ramzi H. Nassar

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

For underwater fiber-optic sensor arrays containing hundreds of sensors as well as smart aerospace structures and skins using fiber-optic strain sensor arrays, the output of the sensors are optical signals that are a function of the measurand. We are also employing optical signals to energize smart-structure actuators (shape-memory alloys). An all-optical processor would thus seem to be logical choice for the processor since we must simultaneously process, in real time, multiple optical input (sensor) signals and generate multiple output (actuator) signals. In addition, with an all-optical processor, there would be no reduction in processor performance due to converting between optical …