NEW TECHNOLOGY
A new sensor system from the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications,
Heinrich Hertz Institute can help to detect weak points on time and warn
yachtsmen when breaking point has been reached. Prof. Wolfgang Schade and
his team in the Project Group for Fiber Optical Sensor Systems in the
German town of Goslar have developed “nerves of glass” which can measure
the forces that act on hulls, masts, and sails.
Schade and his team’s next objective is to adapt the measurement technology
so it is fit for use in competitive racing. “We have now fitted sail
battens with fiber optic sensors, which will help competitors in future to
find the optimal trim…” explains Schade. For the first time, the fiber
optic sensors and the connected measuring equipment – which is no bigger
than a cigarette packet and contains an LED light source, spectrometer, and
electronics – are supplying reproducible values.
This data tells the crew in which areas there is too much or too little
pressure, or how stresses shift to different areas, for example when the
sheets are pulled in tighter. The results provided by the sensor technology
will be accessible everywhere on board at all times – Schade’s team has
already developed an app that allows crew members to access real time data
from their smart phones. The new measuring system will be launched shortly
under the name NextSailSystem.
