Optical Networking and Sensing

Our Optical Networking and Sensing department is leading world-class research into the next generation of optical networks and sensing systems that will power ICT-based social solutions for years. From forward-looking theoretical studies to cutting-edge experiments to world- and industry-first technology field trials, we deliver globally recognized innovation that looks into the future and translates it into present reality. Read our optical networking and sensing news and publications from our team of researchers.

Posts

Static Weight Detection and Localization on Aerial Fiber Cables using Distributed Acoustic Sensing

We demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge, the detection and localization of a static weight on an aerial cable by using frequency domain decomposition analysis of ambient vibrations detected by a φ-DAS system.

Vehicle Run-Off-Road Event Automatic Detection by Fiber Sensing Technology

We demonstrate a new application of fiber-optic-sensing and machine learning techniques for vehicle run-off-road events detection to enhance roadway safety and efficiency. The proposed approach achieves high accuracy in a testbed under various experimental conditions.

Automatic Fine-Grained Localization of Utility Pole Landmarks on Distributed Acoustic Sensing Traces Based on Bilinear Resnets

In distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) on aerial fiber-optic cables, utility pole localization is a prerequisite for any subsequent event detection. Currently, localizing the utility poles on DAS traces relies on human experts who manually label the poles’ locations by examining DAS signal patterns generated in response to hammer knocks on the poles. This process is inefficient, error-prone and expensive, thus impractical and non-scalable for industrial applications. In this paper, we propose two machine learning approaches to automate this procedure for large-scale implementation. In particular, we investigate both unsupervised and supervised methods for fine-grained pole localization. Our methods are tested on two real-world datasets from field trials, and demonstrate successful estimation of pole locations at the same level of accuracy as human experts and strong robustness to label noises.

Distributed Fiber Sensor Network using Telecom Cables as Sensing Media: Applications

Distributed fiber optical systems (DFOS) allow deployed optical cables to monitor the ambient environment over wide geographic area. We review recent field trial results, and show how DFOS can be made compatible with passive optical networks (PONs).

Field Trial of Vibration Detection and Localization using Coherent Telecom Transponders over 380-km Link

We demonstrate vibration detection and localization based on extracting optical phase from the DSP elements of a coherent receiver in bidirectional WDM transmission of 200-Gb/s DP-16QAM over 380 km of installed field fiber.

Optics and Biometrics

Forget passwords—identity verification can now be accomplished with the touch of a finger or in the blink of an eye as the biometrics field expands to encompass new techniques and application areas.

Field Trial of Distributed Fiber Sensor Network Using Operational Telecom Fiber Cables as Sensing Media

We demonstrate fiber optic sensing systems in a distributed fiber sensor network built on existing telecom infrastructure to detect temperature, acoustic effects, vehicle traffic, etc. Measurements are also demonstrated with different network topologies and simultaneously sensing four fiber routes with one system.

Address Challenges in Placing Distributed Fiber Optic Sensors

We are the first to investigate a novel problem, called distributed fiber optic sensor placement, in the context of Infrastructure-as-a-Sensor. We propose an ILP-based optimal solution and a close-to-optimal heuristic solution, both of which aim at minimizing the cost of sensors.

New Methods for Non-Destructive Underground Fiber Localization using Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing Technology

To the best of our knowledge, we present the first underground fiber cable position detection methods using distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) technology. Meter level localization accuracy is achieved in the results.

3D Finger Vein Biometric Authentication with Photoacoustic Tomography

Biometric authentication is the recognition of human identity via unique anatomical features. The development of novel methods parallels widespread application by consumer devices, law enforcement, and access control. In particular, methods based on finger veins, as compared to face and fingerprints, obviate privacy concerns and degradation due to wear, age, and obscuration. However, they are two-dimensional (2D) and are fundamentally limited by conventional imaging and tissue-light scattering. In this work, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, we demonstrate a method of three-dimensional (3D) finger vein biometric authentication based on photoacoustic tomography. Using a compact photoacoustic tomography setup and a novel recognition algorithm, the advantages of 3D are demonstrated via biometric authentication of index finger vessels with false acceptance, false rejection, and equal error rates <1.23%, <9.27%, and <0.13%, respectively, when comparing one finger, a false acceptance rate improvement >10× when comparing multiple fingers, and <0.7% when rotating fingers ±30.