IWCD Prototyping
- DLX Design Lab
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
Designing for the frontiers of physics
May 2024 - ongoing
In collaboration with: Kavli IPMU
IWCD Prototyping is a collaboration with Kavli IPMU (Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe) to design human-centered, cost-effective solutions for the Intermediate Water Cherenkov Detector (IWCD), a part of the Hyper Kamiokande project, with the goal of researching neutrinos in order to understand the origins of the universe.
Project Background
Neutrinos are considered to be the “smallest unit of matter,” and scientists believe that they might hold the key to understanding the universe. The Kamiokande series, created by Dr. Masatoshi Koshiba, was originally made in order to research proton decay, but was modified later to focus on neutrino detection. Using the original Kamiokande, Dr. Koshiba and his team became the first people to observe neutrinos emitted from a supernova explosion, a feat which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002. Its successor, Super-Kamiokande, went on to support more Nobel Prize-winning research when they were able to demonstrate neutrino oscillations. Now, set to start operation in 2028, Hyper-Kamiokande is being created in order to further research neutrinos.
The DLX Design Lab is working alongside scientists and engineers around the world on the Hyper Kamiokande IWCD (Intermediate Water Cherenkov Detector), a completely new component from previous set-ups. Meant to enhance the precision of the Hyper-K’s experiments, it is a moving, scaled-down version of the main detector that is placed between the beam and main detector.
From creating rapid, low-cost mock-ups for quick testing to designing various brackets, jigs, and components for easier assembly and handleability, the DLX Design Lab has demonstrated the value of design in complex manufacturing and engineering environments. By continuously testing ideas in a cheap and simple setup, mistakes and oversights that could be costly if they aren’t caught early in the process can be prevented, better informing the development process and helping prepare for deployment.
