Design Like a Physicist
Physics 371 (previously 398DLP), Spring 2023
3 credit hours
Face-to-face (but masked, please), Friday afternoons, 1 pm - 5 pm, in Loomis 276.
Groups and projects
Spring 2023 (Physics 371)
Click here to see a photo roster of all groups and projects (Physics 371 registration required)Group 1
• Acquisition and analysis of pictures of traps for rootworm beetles in soybean fields (in collaboration with ACES).• Weekly conference: Mondays 10:00 AM - Loomis 432
• PCB design v1.0
Group 2
• Macroscopic collider• Weekly conference: Wednesadys 11:15 AM - Loomis 432
• PCB design v1.0
Group 3
• Mapping crowd flow across Loomis• Weekly conference: Mondays 2:30 PM in Loomis 428
• PCB design v1.0
Group 4
• Resuspension studies - sub-project 2• Weekly conference: Wednesadys 4:00 PM - Loomis 432
• PCB design v1.0
Group 5
• Predictive Seismometry• Weekly conference: Tuesday 3:30 PM - Loomis 432
• PCB design v1.0
Group 6
• FORGE Lab Temperature mapping• Weekly conference: Mondays 2:00 PM in Loomis 428
• PCB design v1.0
Group 7
• Resuspension studies - sub-project 1• Weekly conference: Tuesdays 5:30 PM - Loomis 428
• PCB design v1.0
Group 8
• Water flux studies• Weekly conference: Tuesdays 4:30 PM - Loomis 432
• PCB design v1.0
Fall 2022 (Physics 371)
Group 1
• Air pulse fire extinction if feasible, or else wind turbine noise.• Weekly conference: Tuesdays 13:30
• Circuit schematic for group project
Group 2
• Equine founder ice-bath therapy diagnostics.• Weekly conference: Wednesdays 15:30
• Circuit schematic for group project
Group 3
• Bernoulli vector anemometer.• Weekly conference: Tuesdays, 14:00
• Circuit schematic for group project
Group 4
• Falling object impact shock reduction.• Weekly conference: Wednesdays 17:00
• Circuit schematic for group project
Group 5
• Pulse oximeter calibration studies.• Weekly conference: Mondays, 14:00
• Circuit schematic for group project
Spring 2022 (Physics 398DLP)
Group 1
• Studies of piano overtone spectra.• Weekly conference: Wednesdays, 16:00
• Circuit schematic for group project
• Arduino code to test a loaded group 1 PCB
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 2
• "Color temperature" vs. reality: a comparison of the spectra from LED and incandescent bulbs.• Weekly conference: Mondays, 15:30
• Circuit schematic for group project
• Arduino code to test a loaded group 2 PCB.
Note that you will need to comment-out three compiler directives in the library header file Adafruit_AS7341.h since they will trash the Arduinoi's bootloader: replace
#define AS7341_ASTATUS 0x60 ///< AS7341_ASTATUS (unused)
#define AS7341_CH0_DATA_L 0x61 ///< AS7341_CH0_DATA_L (unused)
#define AS7341_CH0_DATA_H 0x62 ///< AS7341_CH0_DATA_H (unused)
with
// #define AS7341_ASTATUS 0x60 ///< AS7341_ASTATUS (unused)
// #define AS7341_CH0_DATA_L 0x61 ///< AS7341_CH0_DATA_L (unused)
// #define AS7341_CH0_DATA_H 0x62 ///< AS7341_CH0_DATA_H (unused)
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 3
• Precision drone navigation.• Weekly conference: Tuesdays, 15:00
• Circuit schematic for group project
• Arduino codes to test a loaded group 3 PCB
Note that an I2C address conflict between DPS310s and the board's BME680 necessitates jumpering the BME680 SDO pin to ground to change its I2C address to 0x76.
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 4
• Shakin' all over: large amplitude, high frequency vibrations experienced by bus passengers.• Weekly conference: Mondays, 15:00
• Circuit schematic for group project
• Arduino codes to test a loaded group 4 PCB. This includes versions for both (software) SPI and I2C.
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 5: withdrawn
• Predictive seismology.Group 6
• Monitoring environmental parameters in sustainable paper production.• Weekly conference: Mondays, 9:00
• Circuit schematic for group project
• Arduino and python codes to test a loaded group 6 PCB. • Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Fall 2021 (Physics 398DLP)
Group 1
• Surmounting the limitations of RGB color representations.• Weekly conference: Wednesdays, 14:30
• Circuit schematic for group project
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 2
• Bernoulli flow sensors for monitoring oxygen delivery by a multi-patient respirator.• Weekly conference: Mondays, 12:30
• Circuit schematic for group project
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 3
• Drone-assisted digital agriculture: monitoring crop health and parasite infestation through low resolution IR and high resolution (visible light) image processing.• Weekly conference: Tuesdays, 14:00
• Circuit schematic for group project
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 4
• Short range autonomous rover monitoring via acoustic techniques.• Weekly conference: Wednesdays, 15:30
• Circuit schematic for group project
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Spring 2021 (Physics 398DLP)
Group 1
• Prospects for real-time tuning of outdoor music performance venues using radio-linked vector anemometers.• Weekly conference: Mondays, 11:30am
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 2
• Measuring pronation in runners and the force dynamics of a ballet dancer's toe-shoes.• Weekly conference: Tuesdays, 6:00pm
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 3
• Pressure differentials inside/outside N95 (and other) face masks.• Weekly conference: Wednesdays, 2:00pm
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 4
• Radio-linked environmental/bio sensor backpacks for firefighters.• Weekly conference: Wednesdays, 1:00pm
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Fall 2020 (Physics 398DLP)
Group 1
• Stability of latency in cell phone communications; feasibility of employing cell phone networks for signal cross-timing in extended sensor arrays.• Weekly conference: Wednesdays at 3:30
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 2
• Acoustic direction finding• Weekly conference: Wednesdays at 4:15
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 3
• Energy efficiency of different rechargeable battery technologies• Weekly conference: Tuesdays at 3:30
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Spring 2020 (Physics 398DLP)
Group 1
• Precisely cross-timed distributed measurements of atmospheric conditions in an outdoor performance venue• Weekly conference: Mondays at 1 pm
Group 2
• Effective battery energy capacity as a function of temperature and discharge current• Weekly conference: Thursdays at 10 am
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 3
• Psychoacoustics: pitch recall and reproduction• Weekly conference: Mondays at 3:30 pm
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 4
• Noise and pressure profiles in the vicinity of wind turbines• Weekly conference: Wednesdays at 3:30 pm
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 5
• Airborne particulate concentrations in home and institutional kitchens• Weekly conference: Mondays at 2:30 pm
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 6
• Inexpensive electronic veterinary stethoscope feasibility study• Weekly conference: Mondays at 3 pm
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 7
• Characterizing vibrato in stringed instruments and the human voice• Weekly conference: Mondays at 2 pm
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 8
• Temperature profiles inside home refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers• Weekly conference: Tuesdays at 2:30 pm
• Project presentation slides: click here
• Project report: click here
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Fall 2019 (Physics 398DLP)
Group 1
• Hand dryer noise levels• Weekly conference: Tuesdays at 2 pm
• Project presentation slides: 398 Final Presentation
• Project report: Hand Dryer's Noise Level and its Effect on Human Hearing
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 2
• Methane production by livestock• Weekly conference: Wednesdays at 1:15 pm
• Project presentation slides: Methane Production by Livestock
• Project report: Methane Production by Livestock
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 3
• Water quality• Weekly conference: Tuesdays at 1 pm
• Project presentation slides: Surface and Drinking Water Quality at UIUC
• Project report: Surface and Drinking Water Quality at UIUC
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 4
• Drone-borne heat loss measurements• Weekly conference: Wednesdays at 3 pm
• Project presentation slides: Measuring Heat Leakage via a Drone Mounted Sensor Package
• Project report: Heat Leakage Measurements Utilizing An Airborne Sensor Package
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Spring 2019 (Physics 398DLP)
Group 1
• Mapping track irregularities and anomalous accelerations on Amtrak trains• Weekly conference: Wednesdays at 5 pm
• Project presentation slides: An Analysis of Jolts Experienced on Amtrak Railways
• Project report: An Analysis of Anomalous Accelerations Measured on Amtrak Railways
Group 2
• Study of (in)efficiencies of Veoride bicycles• Weekly conference: Wednesdays at 2 pm
• Project presentation slides: Temperature Inefficiencies in Veoride Bicycles
• Project report: Analyzing Inefficiencies In Veoride Bicycles
Group 3
• Fall recognition and mitigation• Weekly conference: Tuesdays at 11:30 am
• Project presentation slides: Fall Detection
• Project report: Fall Detection and Mitigation
Group 4
• (Potentially injury-producing) accelerations experienced by athletes and dancers• Weekly conference: Thursdays at 2 pm
• Project presentation slides: Measuring walking and running dynamics using skin-mounted accelerometers
• Project report: Measuring walking and running dynamics using skin-mounted accelerometers
Group 5
• Inexpensive range and force sensors for smart prosthetic limbs• Weekly conference: Tuesdays at 11:30 am
• Project presentation slides: Prosthetics Sensor Package
• Project report: Exploring an Inexpensive Sensor Package for Prosthetic Limbs
Group 6
• Quantitative studies of how technicians "voice" instruments like pianos• Weekly conference: Fridays at 10 am
• Project presentation slides: Quantitative Analysis on the Tonal Quality of Various Pianos
• Project report: Quantitative Analysis on the Tonal Quality of Various Pianos
Group 7
• Airborne dust produced by agricultural activities• Weekly conference: Wednesdays at 2:30 pm
• Project presentation slides: Detecting Pesticides in UIUC Greenhouses
• Project report: Detecting Pesticides in UIUC Greenhouses
Fall 2018 (Physics 398DLP)
Group 1
• Study of noise inside vehicles and public spaces• Weekly conference: Thursdays at noon
• Project presentation slides: Exploratory Analysis of Noise Reduction in a Sedan
• Project report: Exploratory Experiment on Noise Reduction in a Sedan
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 2
• Anomalous transverse accelerations of railroad trains• Weekly conference: Wednesdays at 3 pm
• Project presentation slides: The Amtrakers
• Project report: The Amtrak: A Look into What can be Improved, and How
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 3
• Temperature and humidity profiles above fields• Weekly conference: Wednesdays at 1:30 pm
• Project presentation slides: Drone Warriors
• Project report: Measure Of Temperature, Humidity, and Pressure Over a Farm Field Using a Drone
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 4
• Acoustic properties of KCPA performance spaces• Weekly conference: Wednesdays at 3:40 pm
• Project presentation slides: Acoustic Properties Foellinger Great Hall in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
• Project report: Acoustic Properties Foellinger Great Hall in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 5
• Temperature profiles of instructional spaces and exterior walls• Weekly conference: Fridays at 11 am
• Project presentation slides: Temperature Gradients of Loomis Laboratory of Physics
• Project report: Temperature Profiles of Loomis Laboratory of Physics
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
Group 6
• Wind-induced pressure gradients inside structures• Weekly conference: Thursdays at 11 am
• Project presentation slides: Wind Induced Pressure Change Inside Structure
• Project report: Pressure Change Inside Residence Due to Wind-Induced Air Leakage
• Data acquisition and offline analysis codes (zip file)
