Mobile fiber-optic Bragg sensor for monitoring axles of vehicles in urban traffic

This paper describes the proposal, manufacture, and overall testing of a portable measuring sensor based on the fiber-optic Bragg grating (FBG). The sensor is made of two-component silicone rubber (ZA 50 LT) and can be used to monitor the density of car traffic in cities at a maximum speed of 60 kph in one lane. The construction of the sensor, which is over 2 m long and 1.8 cm wide, contains optical fiber with FBG encapsulated in a carbon tube and allows the detection of individual vehicle axles. Functional verification of the sensor was performed in real traffic on overall 761 vehicles (various types) with a high detection success rate of 97.19 %.