Abstract
Around the World In Twenty Digits is an interactive number systems exhibit designed for the Redwood Discovery Museum in Eureka, CA.
Background
The Redwood Discovery Museum in Eureka, CA is a children’s museum that focuses on interactive exhibits to promote hands-on learning. The goal of their exhibits is to broaden the horizons of children and inspire lifelong curiosity in the areas of science, art, culture, technology, and healthy living.
Problem statement and criteria
The Redwood Discovery Museum desired an interactive exhibit that would expose children to the written number systems of different world cultures. This The below criteria informed the design objective.
Description of final project
The exhibit is a puzzle featuring the first five digits of the Roman, Mayan, Chinese, and Greek number systems as removable wooden puzzle pieces. The puzzle features a test button in the lower right corner that allows the user to test whether they have correctly placed the puzzle pieces. When the test button is depressed either a green or red light will illuminate beneath each column. If all the pieces of a column are in the correct location the green light will illuminate. If the pieces are in the incorrect order or missing the red light will illuminate.
Costs
Total material cost: $ 420.68. Total hours spent on project 120+.
Maintenance
Minimal maintenance is expected to keep "Around the World in Twenty Digits" running.
Troubleshooting
- A light may fail within a year. Though glued into place they can be easily extracted with a pair of pliers. Two replacement lights of each color are included and can also be purchased on Amazon. Simply glue in a replacement light and attach the new light's wires to the same wire nuts that the failed light was connected to.
- A magnetic reed switch may also fail within a year. Five replacement switches are included. The reed switches are also glued into place and may require plying off with a knife. Be sure to place the new switch in the exact location and orientation of the old switch and to place spade wire connections on the exact terminals as the previous switch.