Low-cost IR thermal cameras (microbolometer-based) are fueling a rising market of industrial and consumer applications ranging from smart homes to healthcare and defense. The semiconductor nanoscale physics lab is currently involved in projects in this field and have had significant success in characterizing the heat sensing membrane and demonstrating strategies to enhance sensor performance. I will present a brief overview of the lab, its students and facilities, and then focus on microbolometer technology, with a discussion on challenges facing the current technology and an outlook for near-future trends in this field. Time permitting, I will also present an overview of work done by the students in other areas of semiconductor nano-physics, including synthesis and defect analysis on transition metal chalcogenides like MoS2.