PHYS 523 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Instrumentation and Applied Physics Project

Ideas for projects

A typical project will comprise a suite of sensors managed by a microcontroller that transmits data over a radio link to a base station. Supervised by UIUC faculty, students will design and build their device's circuit and printed circuit board. You will write data acquisition, calibration, and offline analysis code. You will fabricate parts as necessary on 3D printers. Oral presentations̶ at mid-year, then at project completion, will be complemented by a detailed technical report upon conclusion of the project.

With our Sparkfun Electronics partner: develop "Internet of Things" devices and infrastructure using Nordic Semiconductor's "Matter" platform. Note that Sparkfun will provide partial financial support for students who participate in Sparkfun projects.

With our Carle Illinois College of Medicine partner: An initial feasibility study of a rotating-mirror arthroscope. Orthopedic surgeons use an optical instrument called an arthroscope to view the surgical field during procedures such as joint repair. The typical field of view of an arthroscope can vary from 75° to 115°. Could we expand this to greater than 200° by synchronizing image capture with the orientation of a rotating mirror?

With a colleague in the College of Veterinary Medicine: A novel temperature monitor and managing system for equine laminitis cryotherapy. "Laminitis" (also called "founder") is a dreadful (and dreadfully common) affliction in which the layers of connective tissue in a horse's lower legs become damaged. A horse so afflicted becomes lame; if not addressed promptly, sometimes the unfortunate animal must be euthanized. Early treatment involves immersing the affected leg in an ice bath, while trying to maintain the water temperature at the surface of the leg above freezing, at around 5°C. But the temperature in large animal clinics is hit-or-miss! We might be able to monitor (and maintain) the temperature with a precision of about a degree.

Also with a colleague in the College of Veterinary Medicine: Novel, non-invasive techniques for measurement of body temperature and blood oxygenation during equine surgical procedures.

Also with Vet Med: Large animal gait measurements as an early screen for crippling skeletal malformations that can cause, for example, hip dysplasia in golden retrievers.

With our Krannert Center for the Performing Arts partner: develop instrumentation to improve the reliability and precision of mechanical systems used to position moveable theatre sets during performances.

Daytime bovine methanogenesis measurements in a UIUC Animal Sciences barn. In the United States livestock generate more methane than nearly all other sources. Methane is an important, incredibly harmful contributor to climate change caused by greenhouse gas emission. Let's install a string of methane sensors, all read by an Arduino that is radio-linked to a WiFi-enabled base station.

Microphone-based, radio-linked time-of-flight vector anemometers (my invention!): could a sound engineer use these to correct (in real time) for wind-induced phase errors between towers of speakers in a large outdoor concert venue?

Shock-induced degradation of the magnetic shielding effectiveness of "mu-metal" magnetic shields. We use these to prevent the earth's magnetic field from trashing the gain of a photomultiplier tube. But if you drop a shield on a hard floor, the lore is that it loses some (all?) of its effectiveness. Is that really true?

Solar cell performance comparisons: control an NPN-based current source with an Arduino, see what various solar cells can do. I'm starting to use these in an agriculture technology project, and there are surprises in what I find. So let's scope this out in more detail.

Noise produced by wind turbines. We want to do this in the time domain, not frequency domain.

Foot pressure profiles for users of standing desks. I like my standing desk, but should I be wearing protective footgear?

Predictive shock mitigation on Illinois Central passenger trains. Amtrak rails are a mess just south of Kankakee. Could the bumps felt in one car be transmitted to a device in a car further towards the rear? It might allow an active suspension supporting a crate of delicate devices to better protect its cargo.

The Mpemba Effect: does hot water actually freeze faster than cold water?

Piano overtone spectra: bass, middle, and upper ranges. I have a story for you about an elderly piano tuner who appeared to have become somewhat tone deaf.

Spectral properties of African percussion instruments: Djembe vs. conga. How (and why) does the sound change with technique?

Directional selectivity of a multiple-electret-microphone-per-ear hearing aid.

Some projects will be suggested by industry partners as extensions to their own R & D efforts, for example expanding on the Internet of things (IoT) architecture or developing cost-effective, life-saving medical devices. If you choose to develop an idea of your own, we'll help you investigate its feasibility and facilitate your efforts to develop it.