Advances In Chemical Functionalization And Engineering Of Optical Fiber Composites And Multifunctional Sensor Complexes In Robotics

Optical fibers have emerged as critical enablers in modern robotics. In particular, their integration into composite structures and functionalized sensor complexes supports real-time sensing, proprioception, and environmental interaction. This review comprehensively examines the chemical components (core and cladding materials such as silica glass and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)), composite materials (fiber-reinforced elastomers and carbon-fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) with embedded optical fibers), and sensor complexes (indicator-doped coatings, sol-gel matrices, and biorecognition elements) that underpin fiber-optic technologies in robotic systems. Key applications span soft robotics (shape sensing via fiber optic shape sensors (FOSS) and polymer optical fibers (POF)), continuum manipulators, exoskeletons, and structural health monitoring (SHM) in rigid robotic platforms. Moreover, advances in stretchable waveguides, multicore fibers, and hybrid composites enable submillimeter resolution in curvature, strain, twist, collision detection, and stiffness perception. However, challenges including cross-sensitivity (strain-temperature), mechanical delamination, integration complexity, cost, and data processing overhead limit widespread adoption. Therefore, future directions emphasize AI-enhanced signal decoupling, scalable 3D-printed multifunctional fibers, and bioresorbable complexes for biomedical robotics.