Application Prospects of Optical Fiber Sensing Technology in Smart Campus Construction: A Review

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article systematically explores the application prospects of optical fiber sensing technology (OFS) in the construction of smart campuses. OFS with its advantages such as high sensitivity, passive operation, anti-electromagnetic interference, and distributed long-distance monitoring, provides a new solution for the real-time monitoring and early warning of campus infrastructure.

This manuscript is recommended to be published if the following questions can be clarified in the revision:

1. The article provides a good introduction to various OFS technologies, but lacks a direct comparison with traditional sensing technologies. Systematically compare the advantages and disadvantages of OFS with traditional technologies in terms of cost, accuracy, deployment difficulty, and anti-interference ability.
2. Figure 2 (a) is not clear enough.
3. The introduction provides a comprehensive overview of the technological trends and challenges in smart campus construction and optical fiber sensing (OFS). However, to further strengthen the background on advanced optical communication and signal processing techniques that are relevant to high-performance sensing systems, I recommend citing the following recent works: Optics Express, 33(1), 1058-1068, this work demonstrates advanced modulation techniques that could be relevant for improving signal integrity and noise resilience in OFS systems, especially in multi-parameter sensing scenarios. Lett. 50, 1-5, this paper highlights machine learning-driven approaches for enhancing transmission performance in novel fiber types, which aligns with the discussion on AI-OFS integration in smart campuses. Opt. Express 33, 8686-8700, this study showcases the use of neural networks for optimizing optical amplification, a topic that could enrich the discussion on future OFS system design and performance enhancement. Including these references would better situate the review within the broader context of cutting-edge optical communication and AI-driven signal processing, highlighting synergies between communication and sensing technologies.
4. The article proposes the integration of OFS with AI, digital twins, and IoT platforms, and suggests supplementing specific examples of the integration architecture.

Author Response

The article systematically explores the application prospects of optical fiber sensing technology (OFS) in the construction of smart campuses. OFS with its advantages such as high sensitivity, passive operation, anti-electromagnetic interference, and distributed long-distance monitoring, provides a new solution for the real-time monitoring and early warning of campus infrastructure. This manuscript is recommended to be published if the following questions can be clarified in the revision:

• The article provides a good introduction to various OFS technologies but lacks a direct comparison with traditional sensing technologies. Systematically compare the advantages and disadvantages of OFS with traditional technologies in terms of cost, accuracy, deployment difficulty, and anti-interference ability.

Response: We appreciate the reviewer’s suggestion. In the revised manuscript, we have added a systematic comparison between optical fiber sensing (OFS) and traditional sensing technologies in terms of cost, accuracy, deployment difficulty, and anti-interference capability. The revised section is highlighted in red.

• Figure 2 (a) is not clear enough.

Response: Figure 2(a) has been updated with enhanced resolution and clarity to ensure the visibility of all structural details. The revised section is highlighted in red.

• The introduction provides a comprehensive overview of the technological trends and challenges in smart campus construction and optical fiber sensing (OFS). However, to further strengthen the background on advanced optical communication and signal processing techniques that are relevant to high-performance sensing systems, I recommend citing the following recent works: Optics Express, 33(1), 1058-1068, this work demonstrates advanced modulation techniques that could be relevant for improving signal integrity and noise resilience in OFS systems, especially in multi-parameter sensing scenarios. Lett. 50, 1-5, this paper highlights machine learning-driven approaches for enhancing transmission performance in novel fiber types, which aligns with the discussion on AI-OFS integration in smart campuses. Opt. Express 33, 8686-8700, this study showcases the use of neural networks for optimizing optical amplification, a topic that could enrich the discussion on future OFS system design and performance enhancement. Including these references would better situate the review within the broader context of cutting-edge optical communication and AI-driven signal processing, highlighting synergies between communication and sensing technologies.

Response: We thank the reviewer for the recommended references. The suggested works (Optics Express 33(1), Opt. Express 33, 8686–8700) have been cited. The revised section is red. I am sorry about that I did not find the Lett. 50, 1-5.

4、The article proposes the integration of OFS with AI, digital twins, and IoT platforms, and suggests supplementing specific examples of the integration architecture.

Response: We sincerely thank the reviewer for this helpful suggestion. In the revised manuscript, we have supplemented examples where optical fiber sensing (OFS) is combined with artificial intelligence (AI) to demonstrate concrete integration cases. With regard to digital twins and IoT platforms, we have discussed their potential integration with OFS in the Future Prospects section, as these directions are still at an early stage of development and mainly represent future research opportunities. We believe this arrangement ensures that the current state-of-the-art examples (OFS + AI) are presented in detail, while the integration with digital twins and IoT is highlighted as a forward-looking research pathway.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This work describes representative applications of optical fiber sensing (OFS) technology in smart campus scenarios, including structural health monitoring of academic buildings, laboratory environmental sensing, and intelligent campus security. the feasibility of building data acquisition, transmission, and visualization platforms based on OFS systems is discussed, highlighting their promising roles in campus safety operations, the  integration of teaching and research, and intelligent equipment management. Below are some questions and the detail revision points for the authors' consideration.

1. In Introduction, the progress of optical fiber sensingcombined with smart campus construction is insufficiently introduced. It is incorrect to merely mention optical fiber gratings. The scope is too narrow. Need to improve.
2. In 3.2 section, This part is not very suitable. The theoretical introduction should come earlier. Figure 5 is not a diagram related to campus safety. Need to improve.
3. In 5.3 section, The figure about OFS with AI and Surveillance Systems is not shown. Need to add
4. The selection of the overall graph is not very good. A more appropriate graph needs to be presented in the paper.

Author Response

 This work describes representative applications of optical fiber sensing (OFS) technology in smart campus scenarios, including structural health monitoring of academic buildings, laboratory environmental sensing, and intelligent campus security. the feasibility of building data acquisition, transmission, and visualization platforms based on OFS systems is discussed, highlighting their promising roles in campus safety operations, the integration of teaching and research, and intelligent equipment management. Below are some questions and the detail revision points for the authors' consideration.

1、In Introduction, the progress of optical fiber sensing combined with smart campus construction is insufficiently introduced. It is incorrect to merely mention optical fiber gratings. The scope is too narrow. Need to improve.

Response: We agree with the reviewer. The Introduction has been expanded to cover broader OFS technologies beyond fiber gratings, including interferometric sensors, distributed fiber systems, and hybrid architectures. The revised section is yellow.

2、In 3.2 section, This part is not very suitable. The theoretical introduction should come earlier. Figure 5 is not a diagram related to campus safety. Need to improve.

Response: We thank the reviewer for the constructive comments. In Section 3.2, we have revised the structure by removing the theoretical introduction. Regarding Figure 5, we have replaced it with a picture which is related the Security monitoring of smart campus using distributed fiber optic acoustic sensing.

3、In 5.3 section, The figure about OFS with AI and Surveillance Systems is not shown. Need to add

Response: We appreciate the reviewer’s valuable suggestion. In Section 5.3, we have added the figure illustrating the integration of OFS with AI and surveillance systems. This addition helps to clarify the architecture and application scenarios of such combined systems. To ensure transparency, the corresponding modifications in the text have been highlighted in yellow in the revised manuscript.

4、The selection of the overall graph is not very good. A more appropriate graph needs to be presented in the paper

Response: We carefully reviewed all figures and replaced less suitable ones with more representative and higher-quality graphics, ensuring better alignment with the paper’s themes. The corresponding modifications in the text have been highlighted in the revised manuscript.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In the manuscript entitled “Application Prospects of Optical Fiber Sensing Technology in Smart Campus Construction: A Review”, optical fiber sensors for structural health monitoring and environmental sensing have been summarized. Their applications in perimeter security, underground facility protection, and integration of optical fiber sensors have been reviewed. There are several comments and suggestions as follows:

1. The review aimed to summarize the applications of optical fiber sensors in campus infrastructure. However, their application in campus monitoring did not show any significant results in the manuscript. It is suggested to add more cases to the manuscript to support the subject.
2. The manuscript provides an overview of FBG and distributed fiber sensing technologies for structural health monitoring. It should be noted that interferometric fiber optic sensors have also been extensively applied in this field. A comparative discussion of their respective advantages and application scenarios would further enhance the depth and organization of the review.
3. When describing the article, the author mainly narrates the subject of the article, and the author should introduce more own opinions to discuss.
4. In the section on gas sensing, the current discussion focuses primarily on conventional techniques. The authors may consider including more emerging approaches, such as optical frequency comb-based sensing, to further enrich the review.

Author Response

In the manuscript entitled “Application Prospects of Optical Fiber Sensing Technology in Smart Campus Construction: A Review”, optical fiber sensors for structural health monitoring and environmental sensing have been summarized. Their applications in perimeter security, underground facility protection, and integration of optical fiber sensors have been reviewed. There are several comments and suggestions as follows:

1、The review aimed to summarize the applications of optical fiber sensors in campus infrastructure. However, their application in campus monitoring did not show any significant results in the manuscript. It is suggested to add more cases to the manuscript to support the subject.

Response： We thank the reviewer for this valuable comment. In the revised manuscript, we have added a case study on Security Monitoring of Smart Campus Using Distributed Fiber Optic Acoustic Sensing (Cai et al., 2020), which has been highlighted in green for clarity. This example demonstrates the feasibility of applying distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) in real campus environments, thus directly supporting the subject of our review.At the same time, we would like to clarify that current large-scale deployments of optical fiber sensing (OFS) in campus monitoring remain relatively limited. Therefore, in addition to reporting existing cases, this review also emphasizes optical fiber sensing technologies—such as distributed acoustic sensing, fiber Bragg gratings, and interferometric sensors—that have strong potential for application in smart campus construction. We believe this approach provides both a survey of current progress and a forward-looking perspective on how OFS can be further integrated into campus monitoring systems.

2、The manuscript provides an overview of FBG and distributed fiber sensing technologies for structural health monitoring. It should be noted that interferometric fiber optic sensors have also been extensively applied in this field. A comparative discussion of their respective advantages and application scenarios would further enhance the depth and organization of the review.

Response：We sincerely thank the reviewer for this constructive comment. In response, we have added relevant content on interferometric fiber optic sensors to complement the discussion of FBG and distributed sensing technologies. Furthermore, we have included a comparative discussion of their respective advantages and application scenarios. To enhance the depth and organization of the review, we have also added a dedicated discussion section at the end of each chapter, highlighting key insights and connections across different sensing approaches. These revisions are marked in the manuscript for clarity.

 

3、When describing the article, the author mainly narrates the subject of the article, and the author should introduce more own opinions to discuss.

Response：The revised manuscript now includes more critical analysis and insights from the authors, particularly in the Discussion and Prospect sections, which has been highlighted in green.

 

4、In the section on gas sensing, the current discussion focuses primarily on conventional techniques. The authors may consider including more emerging approaches, such as optical frequency comb-based sensing, to further enrich the review.

Response； We appreciate the reviewer’s constructive suggestion. In the revised manuscript, we have added a discussion of optical frequency comb-based gas sensing as an emerging approach that offers high sensitivity, broadband coverage, and strong potential for multi-gas detection. This addition complements the overview of conventional fiber optic gas sensing technologies and further enriches the review. The newly added content has been highlighted in green in the revised manuscript for clarity.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This revised version can be accepted.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript has been well-revised, and I agree to accept.