Local Colour Control on a Soft Continuum Robot by Bending Embedded Optical Fibre Dissipation Sensor Pairs

Colour as an information carrier widely exists in nature for camouflage and signalling, inspiring recent interest in bio-inspired colour-changing materials. This study introduces an optical fibre dissipation sensor pair integrated into a soft continuum robot, allowing for dynamic colour expression in response to shape changes. The leaked light was used for real-time colour changes to interact with environmental changes. The system successfully demonstrated colour mixing and transitions during bending, offering combined sensing and visual signalling for applications for visual strain expression.