The EU-funded ECSTATIC project aims to harness this vast existing network by developing a groundbreaking interferometry- and polarisation-based approach to vibration and acoustic fibre-optic sensing.
The increasing global demand for advanced telecommunications infrastructure over recent decades has led to the deployment of more than 5 billion kilometres of optical fibre cables worldwide. Many of these cables cross oceans and remote areas, far beyond the reach of conventional sensing technologies. The EU-funded ECSTATIC project aims to harness this vast existing network by developing a groundbreaking interferometry- and polarisation-based approach to vibration and acoustic fibre-optic sensing.
This innovative methodology is set to significantly enhance sensing performance – delivering greater sensitivity and more accurate localisation. By embedding sensing capabilities directly within existing fibre networks, ECSTATIC will enable vital applications such as smart structural health monitoring and tectonic activity detection, without the need to install new fibre infrastructure.
Project objective
The more than 5 billion kilometres of currently installed optical fibre for data communications offer an unprecedented opportunity to build a globe-spanning sensing network, leveraging existing infrastructure without additional fibre deployment. These fibres traverse undersea regions and major terrestrial infrastructures, providing a platform for widespread, cost-effective sensing – particularly in areas where traditional sensors are unavailable or impractical.
ECSTATIC will develop novel sensing techniques based on interferometry and polarisation for vibration and acoustic monitoring. These new approaches will extend the sensitivity, range, and localisation capabilities of distributed fibre-optic sensing, enabling a variety of use cases while ensuring compatibility with live data traffic.
A compact, photonic chip-based dual-microcomb engine will enhance the range, resolution, and bandwidth of distributed acoustic sensing. The project will also advance fundamental understanding of the interaction between physical stimuli and state-of-polarisation measurements. To support this, ECSTATIC will design and characterise systems for simultaneous multi-wavelength interferometry and polarisation-based sensing, incorporating millisecond-resolution, FPGA-based transceivers to boost sensitivity, spatial resolution, and dynamic range.
To address the limitations of current data storage and processing in communication networks, ECSTATIC will develop novel digital signal processing algorithms based on edge computing and AI/ML. These algorithms will focus on efficient data compression and real-time sensing, with high classification accuracy and minimal computational complexity.
The project’s technologies and algorithms will be tested in real-world submarine, metropolitan, and infrastructure networks, demonstrating their potential for early seismic event detection, predictive maintenance, and overall network integrity monitoring.