"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. The below criteria informed the design objective and are listed in order of importance.

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.

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  Figure 1: Puzzle with Roman numerals in incorrect order.
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  Figure 2: Puzzle with all numbers in correct position.
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  Figure 3: Image of magnetic reed switch circuit underneath the puzzle.
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  Figure 4: Magnet embedded in back of puzzle piece.

Maintenance

Minimal maintenance is expected to keep "Around the World in Twenty Digits" running.