Data Center Infrasound Research and Education Lab (DC-IRE Lab)
Upcoming InitiativeResearch Summary
The Data Center Infrasound Research and Education Lab (DC-IRE Lab) is a community-engaged, interdisciplinary initiative focused on independently monitoring, analyzing, and communicating the environmental soundscape surrounding large-scale data center development in Colorado Springs. The Lab brings together expertise from across UCCS and the community to build open-source monitoring infrastructure, establish baseline environmental data, and make findings accessible to residents, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
Beginning with the development of Project Taurus near Garden of the Gods, DC-IRE Lab will deploy a distributed network of acoustic and seismic sensors to measure low-frequency sound and infrasound before and after data center operations begin. The project pairs rigorous environmental monitoring with a public data repository, interactive dashboard, educational resources, community programming, and scholarly research—creating an independent source of information that can support both scientific inquiry and informed community decision-making.
The Problem: As large-scale data centers expand, communities are asking questions about their environmental and quality-of-life impacts, including persistent low-frequency noise and infrasound. Yet independent baseline measurements and long-term, publicly accessible monitoring remain limited, making it difficult to distinguish new impacts from existing environmental conditions or support evidence-based community conversations.
The Innovation: DC-IRE Lab combines open-source environmental sensing, interdisciplinary research, and public science communication into a community-accessible monitoring system. By collecting data and sharing it through an open repository, public dashboard, and educational resources, the Lab transforms environmental monitoring into a transparent resource for researchers, residents, and decision-makers.
Community and Industry Impact
DC-IRE Lab gives Colorado Springs residents access to independent environmental information about a major infrastructure development affecting their community. Public dashboards, accessible educational materials, meetings, and open data will help residents understand what is being measured, follow changes over time, and participate in conversations using shared evidence rather than speculation. The model also creates resources that could benefit communities evaluating future data center developments.
Student Engagement and Mentorship
The Lab creates a living research environment where students can contribute to sensor deployment, data engineering, environmental analysis, mapping, audio technology, technical communication, visualization, and public engagement. Working alongside interdisciplinary faculty, technical experts, and community partners gives students experience applying their disciplinary skills to a complex, evolving local issue while contributing to an open research resource with real-world applications.
Increasing UCCS Visibility
DC-IRE Lab positions UCCS at the intersection of emerging technology, environmental research, public information access, and community engagement. By producing open datasets, scholarly and creative works, public-facing tools, and educational programming, the initiative can demonstrate how university expertise responds to emerging regional challenges while strengthening UCCS's visibility as a resource for interdisciplinary research and technology accountability.
Timeline and Deliverables
The project's central goal is to establish an independent, transparent, and sustainable environmental monitoring infrastructure capable of documenting changes in low-frequency sound and infrasound associated with data center development.
Its primary deliverable will be a distributed sensor network connected to an open data repository and public-facing dashboard, allowing users to explore current and historical environmental sound data. The underlying infrastructure is intended to support public understanding as well as future academic, policy, legal, and community research.
Fundraising and Start-Up
Summer–Fall 2026
- Formalize the DC-IRE Lab interdisciplinary team and partnerships.
- Refine and document the open-source sensor and data infrastructure.
- Secure monitoring equipment and identify deployment locations.
- Establish partnerships with property owners, community organizations, and relevant local stakeholders.
- Deploy initial monitoring stations.
- Begin collecting pre-operation baseline data.
- Develop the structure for the public database and dashboard.
- Begin public education and project communications.
The project already enters this phase with meaningful technical progress: open-source ESP32 sensor code, a local LoRaWAN network server, initial data infrastructure, and preliminary radio-range simulations have been developed.
Scale Monitoring & Public Access
Spring 2027
- Expand the distributed monitoring network.
- Continue baseline collection and transition into operational monitoring as appropriate.
- Launch an initial version of the public dashboard and data repository.
- Analyze low-frequency sound patterns across monitoring locations.
- Engage students in research, visualization, documentation, and communication.
- Host public educational programming and share preliminary findings.
Analyze & Communicate
Summer–Fall 2027
- Compare baseline and post-operation measurements.
- Refine methods for distinguishing facility-related signals from typical environmental conditions.
- Expand historical data visualization and dashboard functionality.
- Produce technical reports, white papers, and accessible community resources.
- Present findings to community, academic, and civic audiences.
- Develop scholarly and creative research outputs.
The proposed pilot anticipates approximately 12 months of monitoring, including an initial baseline period followed by monitoring during operation, with longer-term collection dependent on funding and maintenance capacity.
Future Goals
Onward!
- Maintain and expand the environmental dataset.
- Support researchers and students using the open data for new projects.
- Explore additional environmental monitoring questions related to data center infrastructure.
- Develop external grants and community/industry partnerships.
- Adapt the monitoring and education model for other communities or future infrastructure projects.
- Establish DC-IRE Lab as a sustained UCCS resource for data center environmental research, education, and public information access.
Meet the Team
Hayley Blackburn
Innovation, Kraemer Family Library and C3 InnovationProject Manager; stakeholder coordination; grant alignment; public engagement
Dr. Hayley Blackburn brings expertise in innovation, design, and digital scholarship to the C3 Innovation team and the Kraemer Family Library at UCCS. Hayley’s work at the library and C3 focuses on generative AI and educational technology, building tools and resources that streamline course preparation and enhance learning experiences. With a Ph.D. in Public Communication and Technology, Hayley combines research in new media channels with practical applications in UX design, instructional development, and creative services.