APL tech Composite patch developed for the Spanish Aeronautic Institute INTA the first fibre optic equipped composite patch for the repair and the monitoring of aircraft structures.

This patch enables to connect with existing Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) monitoring systems or to be installed stand alone on an area to be monitored.

It may be installed by non composite experts on most surfaces types as a purely monitoring system - or to be part of a long term structural repair with the unique capability of connecting with an existing Fiber Bragg monitoring system.

This breakthrough of a simple to use optic fiber equipped monitoring system enables the integration within the new generation defense UAV´s and all civilian carbon fibre airplanes but also on civil engineering structures like bridges or other key structures needing monitoring where the use of intelligent optic fibre monitoring is becoming mainstream.