sensors-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Intelligent Optical Sensors in Biomedicine and Robotics

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensors and Robotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 February 2027 | Viewed by 2838

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam Rd., Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
Interests: instrumentation and measurement systems based on artificial intelligence with deep learning methods; intelligent optical sensors for robot-assisted microsurgeries; novel optical imaging technologies for various fields in nano-biomedicine and neuroscience research

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering, DGIST, 333 Techno Jungang-daero, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
Interests: opto-mechatronics; robot mechatronics; artificial intelligence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge research on the development, application, and intelligent integration of optical sensors in the fields of biomedicine and robotics. Optical sensing offers numerous advantages, including high sensitivity, non-invasiveness, and the ability to operate in challenging environments. The integration of these advanced optical sensing capabilities with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and robotic systems is revolutionizing healthcare, diagnostics, surgical procedures, and autonomous robotic operations. This includes areas such as advanced signal processing, real-time data interpretation, predictive modeling for diagnostics, and enhanced robotic perception and manipulation.

We invite original research articles and comprehensive review papers that explore novel materials, device designs, sensing principles, data processing techniques, and real-world applications. Contributions should explicitly address the "intelligence" aspect, highlighting how AI and advanced algorithms enhance the performance, autonomy, and decision-making capabilities of optical sensors and robotic systems.

The scope of the "intelligence" encompasses two interconnected yet distinct domains:

  1. Advances in intelligent optical sensing/imaging techniques: This includes innovations at the hardware and data acquisition level, such as novel sensor designs incorporating embedded intelligence (e.g., on-chip processing for feature extraction), materials enabling adaptive or responsive sensing, and smart imaging modalities that inherently generate enhanced or pre-processed data streams.
  2. Innovations in image/signal processing algorithms: This focuses on computational methods applied to the raw or pre-processed data output from optical sensors. Examples include AI/ML techniques for advanced analysis (e.g., segmentation and classification), real-time interpretation, predictive modeling, feature extraction, and deriving actionable insights or control signals.

This Special Issue encompasses smart biosensors for personalized medicine, medical imaging breakthroughs, sophisticated robot vision systems, and haptic feedback in surgical robotics. This Special Issue highlights the synergistic relationship between optical sensing, intelligence (AI/ML), and their transformative impact on both biomedical engineering and advanced robotics, driving innovation for a healthier and more automated future.

Prof. Dr. Jae-Ho Han
Prof. Dr. Cheol Song
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biophotonics
  • optical biosensing
  • medical diagnostics
  • surgical robotics / minimally invasive surgery
  • wearable optical sensors
  • robot vision/computer vision
  • haptic/tactile sensing (optical)
  • deep learning / neural networks for sensor data

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

16 pages, 14843 KB  
Communication
Embedded Printing of Integrated Quantum Dot Waveguide Deformation Sensors
by Tobias Biermann, Lennart Mesecke, Simon Teves, Gerrit Eckert, Ole Hill, Ivo Ziesche, Alexander Wolf and Roland Lachmayer
Sensors 2026, 26(4), 1160; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26041160 - 11 Feb 2026
Viewed by 484
Abstract
We present an optical deformation sensor additively manufactured via an embedded printing process that enables the direct integration of colloidal quantum dots into multimode silicone (PDMS) waveguides. The sensor consists of two parallel waveguide strands, one of which is locally functionalized with CdSe/CdS [...] Read more.
We present an optical deformation sensor additively manufactured via an embedded printing process that enables the direct integration of colloidal quantum dots into multimode silicone (PDMS) waveguides. The sensor consists of two parallel waveguide strands, one of which is locally functionalized with CdSe/CdS quantum dots serving as fluorescent emitters. When narrow-band UV light at 405 nm is coupled into the non-functionalized strand, structural deformation alters the conditions of total internal reflection, thereby changing the optical interaction between both strands. This leads to a deformation-dependent variation in the fluorescence shift-affected intensity ratio, which serves as a self-referenced signal for angle determination. Using ratiometric evaluation, angular deflections of up to 9.5° are detected with a resolution below 1° (2σ confidence), representing the performance of an initial functional prototype. The embedded printing process allows the voxel-wise adjustment of the material composition within a viscoplastic support medium and thus the spatially resolved integration of quantum dot-functionalized silicone. Attenuation losses of 0.81±0.02dB/cm at 625 nm confirm the optical suitability of the printed waveguides. This approach combines optical sensing and structural flexibility within a single manufacturing step and establishes a pathway toward fully integratable deformation-sensing elements for soft robotic and wearable systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Optical Sensors in Biomedicine and Robotics)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Other

Jump to: Research

23 pages, 4117 KB  
Perspective
Haptic and Palpation Sensing for Robotic Surgery: Engineering Perspectives on Design and Integration
by Michael H. Friebe
Sensors 2026, 26(4), 1126; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26041126 - 10 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1983
Abstract
Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) provides enhanced dexterity and visualisation but remains constrained by the absence of clinically meaningful palpation and haptic feedback. This perspective examines palpation sensing in RAS from an engineering and system-integration standpoint, identifying the lack of tactile information as a major [...] Read more.
Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) provides enhanced dexterity and visualisation but remains constrained by the absence of clinically meaningful palpation and haptic feedback. This perspective examines palpation sensing in RAS from an engineering and system-integration standpoint, identifying the lack of tactile information as a major contributor to increased cognitive load, prolonged training, and risk of tissue injury. Recent advances in force, tactile, vibroacoustic, audio, and optical sensor technologies enable quantitative assessment of tissue mechanical properties and often exceed human tactile sensitivity. However, clinical translation is limited by challenges in sensor miniaturisation, sterilisation, robustness and integration and the absence of standardised evaluation metrics. The integration of artificial intelligence and multimodal sensor fusion with intra-operative imaging and augmented visualisation is highlighted as a key strategy to compensate for sensor limitations and biological variability. Dedicated robotic palpation devices and wireless or magnetically coupled probes are discussed as promising transitional solutions. Overall, the restoration of palpation sensing is presented as a prerequisite for improving safety and efficiency and enabling higher levels of autonomy in future RAS platforms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intelligent Optical Sensors in Biomedicine and Robotics)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop