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This paper reports an effective method of packaging a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) for the simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain. The technique consists of embedding two fiber Bragg grating sensors inside a polymeric material with different geometrical characteristics. The mechanical and thermal characterizations of the optical transducer were performed. Then a matrix equation used measurements of the wavelength shifts from the two sensors and yielded information about the temperature and strain coefficients. The preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of the encapsulation technique allowing measurements of temperature and strain in smart structures and harsh environments. The experimental procedure provides robustness to the sensor and the matrix equation approach has the potential to determine simultaneously the strain and temperature coefficients.

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This article presents two in vivo instrumentation techniques to study the different types of gaits of horses performing athletics using fiber Bragg gratings (FBG). These techniques can be used as an auxiliary tool in the early diagnosis of injuries related to the horse's locomotor system, mainly in the distal portion of the digit, one of the most common causes of retirement when they are athletes. Therefore, the first technique presented consists of the fixation of FBGs without encapsulation, directly on the dorsal wall of the hoof in each of the limbs. In the second technique presented, the FBG sensor is encapsulated in a prototype developed using a composite material reinforced with carbon fiber in a horseshoe shape. The second technique is associated with digital image processing (DIP) for better visualization of the deformation and compression forces that act upon the limbs. The first method showed sensitivity to detection of the digit compression against the ground, being able to identify walking patterns. The second technique, with the encapsulated sensor elements, also allows the capture of characteristic signals of gait, such as step walk, trot, and gallop under training conditions. These two techniques of instrumentation using FBGs sensors, the second associated with DIP, are promising for the clinical and biomechanical study and medical evaluation of horses even during dynamic training and competition.

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