Fiber rotator system for scalable and automated alignment of multiple polarization maintaining fibers

A method comprising:

• placing a plurality of polarization maintaining (PM) fibers of a multi-fiber optical fiber cable into a plurality of fiber channels of a clamp assembly, the clamp assembly comprising a base, a plurality of fiber clamps, and a guide assembly a channel of a base of a clamp assembly;
• placing the plurality of stripped ends of PM fibers of the multi-fiber optical fiber cable into a plurality of wheel clamps of a fiber rotator assembly, each wheel clamp having a fiber wheel channel aligned with the corresponding fiber channel of the clamp assembly;
• rotating the plurality of wheel clamps using a linear actuator;
• detecting fiber alignment using a fiber detection and alignment system, wherein the fiber detection and alignment system includes an image sensor configured to obtain image data of fiber end faces;
• wherein the fiber detection and alignment system predicts whether fiber is aligned based on the image data using one or more neural networks;
• transmitting fiber alignment information from the fiber detection and alignment system to a fiber rotator controller;
• determining, by the fiber rotator controller, whether any PM fibers are newly aligned;
• clamping any newly aligned PM fibers to the base of the clamp assembly;
• disengaging the wheel clamps of any newly aligned fibers;
• and
• determining whether all of the PM fibers are aligned.

A system comprising:

• an optical fiber cable, wherein the optical fiber cable comprises multiple optical fibers;
• a clamp assembly comprising a base and a plurality of fiber clamps;
• a fiber rotator assembly comprising a linear actuator and a plurality of wheel clamps;
• a fiber detection and alignment system comprising an image sensor and a neural network configured to predict fiber alignment based on image data;
• a fiber rotator controller configured to receive fiber alignment information from the fiber detection and alignment system;
• and
• means for individually clamping optical fibers to selectively prevent or promote rotation of each optical fiber.