MON AM News: UW-Madison tech enables vibration sensing at ‘much lower cost’; Evers issues economic disruption order after tornado

August 10, 2026

— UW-Madison researchers have created a technology for sensing vibrations at “much lower cost” than traditional systems, with possible applications in health monitoring, predicting natural disasters and structural testing.

WARF included the technology in its latest roundup of top licensing prospects among its portfolio of engineering and computer science university research.

Its inventors note the importance of real-time vibration sensing, as it can help predict earthquakes, typhoons and avalanches, along with other uses in geological surveys. And while vibrations from human breathing and heartbeats are key signals for health monitoring, the ability to monitor vibrations in structures can also be used to test industrial equipment, vehicles and buildings.

Existing approaches usually involve an electronic sensor attached directly to the vibrating surface to gather accurate measurements of frequency and motion. But the inventors say these current options can involve “prohibitively high” costs, especially if it’s necessary to monitor multiple locations at the same time.

“In many sensor applications providing electrical power to the sensor location or by batteries can be impractical,” they wrote in the patent. “For this reason, there is substantial interest in non-contact vibration sensing, that can monitor multiple locations or that avoids the need for a local source of power.”

To address this demand, the scientists created a “passive vibration sender” to boost the amplitude of target vibrations, giving remote sensing systems the ability to detect it in a nuanced way.

Non-contact vibration sensing systems can involve video imaging of a vibrating surface, or measuring changes in radio waves reflected from the surface, according to the patent.

But inventors say low sensitivity is a major limitation to non-contact approaches, as camera systems used for this purpose need “extremely high” resolution to gain meaningful information, while radio signals’ long wavelength result in “nearly undetectable” changes for measurement.

Their solution offers a way to amplify vibration signals to make these approaches more viable. The design outlined in the patent “potentially provides a much lower cost” than active electronic sensors, doesn’t require a power source and reduces vibration at other frequencies, improving the signal.

The patent includes diagrams of the technology’s structure, as well as potential ways to mount it on the body, either with a wearable strap or article of clothing.

The inventors listed on the patent include Profs. Chu Ma and Bhuvana Krishnaswamy of the UW-Madison College of Engineering as well as Dajun Zhang and Muhammad Osama Shahid.

See the overview from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

See the patent.

— Gov. Tony Evers has declared a period of “abnormal economic disruption” in Outagamie, Winnebago, Forest and Vilas counties after a tornado ripped through the Appleton area last month.

The guv on Friday signed an executive order directing DATCP to enforce prohibitions against price gouging, noting the severe storm damage has disrupted daily life for county residents and driven many to seek repairs to property and seek temporary housing.

The order notes locals are vulnerable to being taken advantage of in the wake of the storm. It bars the practice of selling or offering a consumer good or service at “unreasonably excessive prices,” referencing temporary lodging and campground sites in particular.

Evers in a release said the order will ensure state agencies can crack down on price gouging on everyday necessities to help locals get back on their feet.

“Folks who’ve just lost their family homes and businesses shouldn’t have to worry about paying outrageous prices for simple necessities like a place to sleep, food to eat, or any other everyday essentials,” he said.

The order will remain in effect for 45 days. It follows an earlier executive order that declared a state of emergency following the tornado.

See the release.

— The Wisconsin Technical College System says the vast majority of employers it surveyed were happy with graduates and would hire a WTCS grad again.

The system on Friday released its latest Employer Satisfaction Report, including results from a survey it conducts every four years. Of the 1,092 respondents, 97% said they were satisfied or very satisfied with tech college graduates’ education, and 96% said they would hire a graduate again.

Meanwhile, 92% of respondents said they would recommend a WTCS graduate to another employer. And another 97% said at least one of the state’s 16 technical colleges was important to the success of their business.

Report authors noted nine in 10 employers tapped in the survey said the tech college grads they employed either met or exceeded expectations for: their ability to perform technical skills and communicate effectively; their “mastery” of science, technology or engineering; and overall preparedness for the workforce.

“When businesses say they would hire our graduates again and recommend them to others, it validates the quality of education delivered by Wisconsin’s 16 technical colleges and the strong partnerships we maintain with industry across the state,” WTCS President Layla Merrifield said in a statement on the findings.

To collect these results, the state’s 16 technical colleges asked each graduate from the 2024-25 academic year to identify their employer. Between March and May of this year, the colleges surveyed employers of those graduates who reported being employed in an occupation related to their education.

Of the 2,727 employers surveyed, 1,092 or 40% provided responses.

See the report and release.

— Wisconsin has now had 216 reported cases of cyclosporiasis and five hospitalizations amid the multi-state outbreak of intestinal illness.

The illness, caused by the microscopic cyclospora parasite, has been linked to iceberg lettuce.

California-based Taylor Farms last month issued a recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, and the CDC says it’s currently investigating multiple unrelated outbreaks and illnesses around the country linked to cyclospora.

In Wisconsin, 94 of the confirmed cases didn’t report traveling internationally during the 14-day period before getting symptoms. These cases represent domestically acquired infections, according to the state Department of Health Services.

At the national level, the CDC reports 6,358 total cases in 15 states including 278 hospitalizations as of Wednesday, the latest date for which figures are available. The federal agency has reported two deaths linked to the outbreak.

See more at the DHS outbreaks site.

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