Look at some of the great work National Instruments Engineers have been involved in - Careers with a difference!

1. 1ni.com
Northern European Region
Case Studies

2. 2ni.com

3. 3ni.com
Tracking WiFi Signals to
Passively See Through Walls
The Challenge The Solution
Using NI USRP to lock onto a WiFi router, whilst
simultaneously monitoring the same WiFi signals
as they reflect off visually obscured moving targets.
Enabling undetectable surveillance, by monitoring
movement through walls, using the wireless signals
that already swamp our urban airways.
Click here to find out more

4. 4ni.com
Robotic Table Football
Revolutionising Mechatronics
Education
The Challenge The Solution
Using LabVIEW and myRIO to develop the Robotic Table
Football challenge. This practical approach to teaching
mechatronic systems integration resulted in a marked
increase in student engagement, improved grades and the
best system implementations to date.
Students struggled to realise their innovations using textual
programming, due to unintuitive syntax and complex hardware
integration. Following many research successes, Loughborough
wanted to incorporate LabVIEW into their refined Mechatronic
module
Click here to find out more

5. 5ni.com
70-Ton GripperArms for Offshore
Wind Turbine Construction
The Challenge The Solution
CompactRIO executes kinematic and closed-loop
control algorithms for precise arm movement,
whilst dynamically compensating against powerful
ocean currents and waves
Creating robust, reliable hydraulic gripper arms,
capable of guiding 700 ton wind turbine
foundations deep into the sea bed.
Click here to find out more

6. 6ni.com
Holographic Tweezers
Positioning Living Stem Cells in 3D
The Challenge The Solution
The accurate study of cellular structures has been
limited by the lack of technology to manipulate cells
in three dimensions. Developing such a tool will
facilitate a detailed understanding of cellular
function, and accelerate the development of future
medicines and treatments
Using LabVIEW to develop a new breed of
instrument, using laser energy to simultaneously
position multiple stem cells using multi-touch
gestures on a tablet interface. The system is
empowering scientists across the globe to study
cellular microenvironments in unprecedented detail
Click here to find out more

7. 7ni.com
Measuring Biomechanical Stresses
in Machine and Live Scrummaging
The Challenge The Solution
Of all the catastrophic, life changing spinal
injuries that occur in rugby
40%
can be directly attributed to the scrum
Using CompactRIO to create the world’s most
advanced scrum machine to study the forces at
play. Correlated sensor and video data was used to
define a new scrum engagement sequence, which
is now used in the European Six Nations
championship and the Rugby World Cup
Click here to find out more

8. 8ni.com
Prevent HIV Transmission Between
Mother and Child During Breastfeeding
The Challenge The Solution
The JustMilk NSDS is a simple, low cost device that
can help the global fight against HIV, Malaria and
malnutrition. As with all novel medical
technologies, extensive validation testing is
required.
Building the world first breastfeeding simulation
apparatus, based on LabVIEW and cDAQ. The
system controls heat exchangers, fraction
collectors and feed-pumps to accurately mimic
both lactating mother and breastfeeding infant
Click here to find out more

9. 9ni.com
Getting the Skylon Space Plane
Project Off the Ground
The Challenge The Solution
Using CompactDAQ and LabVIEW to validate the
Skylon’s enabling technology – the engine
precoolers (capable of cooling air from 1000⁰C to -
196 ⁰C in 100th of a second)
Developing Skylon, the world’s most advanced
space plane - capable of achieving MACH 5.5 after
taking off from a traditional, horizontal runway
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10. 10ni.com
Building anAston Martin Race
Engine VibrationAnalysis System
The Challenge The Solution
Using CompactRIO to acquire and analyse a
variety of mixed-measurements to precisely
investigate resonances over the speed range
of the engine.
Acquiring live, vehicular data to help Aston
Martin engineers race-tune their engines to
successfully compete in motorsport’s most
demanding event; the 24 Hour Le Mans.
Click here to find out more

11. 11ni.com
LabAtar
Humanoid Robot Teleoperation System
The Challenge The Solution
LabVIEW was used to seamlessly combine all of the
technologies, controlling everything limb position,
head orientation and relative location mapping.
Now using myRIO to develop a low cost alternative
to the NAO robot
Combining Virtual Reality, Wireless Sensing and
Humanoid Robotics to prototype a new breed of
human-machine interface – where you become the
robot. Possible applications in space exploration and
disaster relief
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12. 12ni.com
Hybrid Simulation ofAutonomous
Air-to-Air Refuelling Procedures
The Challenge The Solution
A full-scale, sensor-in-the-loop robotic test
environment was required to validate new
automated air-to-air refuelling technologies,
whilst interfacing with external controllers,
sensors, and software models.
The researchers used VeriStand and NI PXI
Modular Instrumentation to develop two robotic
manipulators that physically emulate planes,
whilst simulating flight dynamics and
disturbances, like atmospheric turbulence
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13. 13ni.com
Developing UltraHD Space Cameras
for Live Streaming Planet Earth
across the Internet
The Challenge The Solution
Using LabVIEW and NI FlexRIO to accelerate
camera development and validation, ensuring this
novel, cutting edge camera technology was ready
for launch date. The cameras are successfully
broadcasting video streams from the ISS
Developing revolutionary UltraHD cameras capable
of live streaming our evolving planet from space,
with a ground resolution of 1m per pixel. The live
streams will be accessible for anyone with a web
connection on UrtheCast.com
Click here to find out more

14. 14ni.com
Take Any Bottle Onto an
Aircraft Thanks to LabVIEW
The Challenge The Solution
Developing the INSIGHT100 device, powered
by LabVIEW, to detect explosives in liquids,
aerosols and gels in a wide range of opaque
plastic and coloured glass containers.
Facilitating the non-invasive detection of
explosive materials to support the relaxation
of the liquids ban on commercial aircrafts,
whilst maintaining public security.
Click here to find out more