As one of the nation’s leading research institutions, UW–Madison provides a wealth of opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to explore their interests, foster new ideas, and meet society’s needs in unique ways. Here are five recent innovations made on (and around) campus.
- Milky Way Mystery
How can something unravel for billions of years, yet remain intact? This has been the question surrounding two of the Milky Way’s largest satellite galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. New findings by a team of UW–Madison scientists and alumni have answered that question by describing how galaxies form a gaseous shield around themselves to protect from further debris loss and avoid collision with other galaxies. - Heads Together
Throughout the 2022 season, Badger football players wore specialized mouthguards to provide insight on injury reduction in impact sports. After tracking the speed, direction, and location of impacts, data collected from volunteer amateur and professional athletes will be anonymized and sent to the National Football League’s independent consultants. Next, UW researchers will run specialized analytics to help players, coaches, and physicians develop strategies for preventing head injuries from occurring and for treating them more effectively when they do. - Future Fashion
In Wearable Technology, a course in the UW School of Human Ecology, form meets function. While honing their skills in circuitry, programming, and sewing, students are challenged with designing and building wearable computing platforms. With students from disciplines including engineering, human ecology, theater, and design studies, the course culminates in a final project and public presentation. Previous years’ projects have included heart-rate-monitoring winter gloves, jeans with wireless charging capabilities, and color-sensing, light-up fairy wings. - Lions and Tigers and Badgers, Oh My!
Is my penguin too cold? Is there an easier way to feed a giraffe? In October 2022, students from all majors were invited to collaborate and use the Makerspace, a 25,000-square-foot rapid prototyping facility in the College of Engineering, to design, 3D-print, laser-cut, and build solutions for problems faced by staff at the Henry Vilas Zoo. - Blast from the Past
After the recovery of a 1,200-year-old Ho-Chunk canoe from Lake Mendota in June 2021, staff from the Grainger Engineering Design and Innovation Laboratory at UW– Madison helped create a 3D rendering of the boat. While the Wisconsin Historical Society embarks on preservation efforts for the original canoe, the model allows researchers to investigate the boat’s craftspeople, materials, techniques, and damage.
