Current interests

Ian Butterworth conducts leading-edge research in Sound-in-Air and Ultrasonic fields. His range of interests spans the detection and categorisation of ultrasonic and hydrodynamic cavitation; acousto-optic measurement of both ultrasonic and audio sound fields; the development of web-based data visualisation tools; and the promotion of NPL's work through various public outreach channels.

Ian is also a keen 'hacker', having built CloudChamber.co for Music Hack Day London 2011, a website that allowed anyone to remotely use the acoustic reverberation chamber at NPL for their own recordings.

Biography

Ian joined the Acoustics team at NPL in 2008. Prior to this his studies included a Bachelors in Electronic Engineering at the University of Warwick, where he specialised in system control and automation, followed by a Masters in Audio Acoustics at the University of Salford, specialising in psychoacoustic listening states and the categorisation of the complex perception of the modern soundscape.

Since 2008, Ian has progressed to the role of Higher Research Scientist, and now divides his time between Sound-in-Air and Ultrasonic research projects, and has presented his work at numerous international meetings. Some of his highlights to date include: leading a project on the development and testing of novel hearing protection; the discovery and subsequent development of a new imaging technique based on acousto-optic interaction for visualisation of High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound fields; and recent work on the remote and rapid acousto-optic mapping of sound fields in air. Ian has experience across a wide range of acoustic and technological applications, and has a creative and scientific interest in the recorded arts.

Selected publications

• Exploiting thermochromic materials for the rapid quality assurance of physiotherapy ultrasound treatment heads
  I. Butterworth et al.
  Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, awaiting publication (2012)
• Realtime acousto-optical QA methods for high intensity fields
  I. Butterworth, A. Shaw
  Ultrasonic Industry Association Symposium (UIA) (2010)

Videos

• Seeing sound

Posters

• Seeing Sound: Exploiting the Acousto-Optic Effect

Other

• CloudChamber.co – Enabling remote access to the NPL Reverberation Chamber
• Looking at distributed noise levels during the volcanic ash flight disruptions
• NPL and the science of reflection-ology (an article about Ian's work by Pro Sound News Europe)
• Studying the light emitted from microbubbles

Contact details

Email: ian.butterworth@npl.co.uk
Tel: 020 8943 8656