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McWane Science Center. Science on a Sphere project February 2007 Greg Christenson Exhibits Technical Director Lawrence Cooper Education Manager. Installation Timeline. Currently in final production phase Walls, painting, infrastructure completion Feb. 2 nd 2007
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McWane Science Center Science on a Sphere project February 2007 Greg Christenson Exhibits Technical Director Lawrence Cooper Education Manager
Installation Timeline • Currently in final production phase • Walls, painting, infrastructure completion Feb. 2nd 2007 • NOAA team arrives Feb. 5th for installation • Opening preview party Feb. 15th 2007 • Opens to public February 17th 2007
Content Delivery • Current plans include a mix of presenter led programs for both public and school groups. • Play lists with audio content for times between programs.
SoS Programming Topics • Current plans are for a mix of Solar System and Earth Science programs. • School Programs designed using the Alabama Course of Study for Science (ACOSS) Standards. • Journey to Earth • Our Place in Space • Active Atmosphere • The Living Planet
Programs • Public Programs • Hurricane Hunters • Where do they form and travel. • Earth and Beyond • Solar system program. • Journey to Mars • Mars geology and distinct features. • Impact Earth • Human impact on our planet.
Unique Aspects • Upgraded audio system using JBL speakers and separate equalization for microphone and computer inputs.
Screen Goo high contrast paint • Using “Digital Grey” paint for sphere to improve contrast in medium ambient light installation area.
208/220 V Computer Power • 20A Circuit power capacity of 3600 watts • Six Dell workstations connected to a single battery backup exceed the 1920 Volt-Amp UL rating of a single 120 volt 20 amp standard circuit requiring multiple circuits. • Less current draw at 208v therefore components run cooler reducing long-term risks of failure. L6-20R twistlock receptacles reduce the chance accidental disconnection
DVI projector connection • Eiki LC-X60 projectors connected to computers with DVI using Gefen extenders • Up to 200 feet (60 meters) over two CAT-5e cables at 1280x1024 • Full digital connection
Projector Towers • Projector mounting tower separate from outer structure • Computers remote mounted with DVI • AR glass windows to protect projector lens
Local Partnerships • Partnering with University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) on evaluation and assessment. • EyeSight Foundation of Alabama and UAB Department of Ophthalmology for content creation. • We are also hoping to expose a good number of underprivileged school systems to this new technology through access fund partnerships with Alabama Power and Honda. These will allow field trips to attend SoS programs.
Program Evaluation • We plan to use Einstruction’s Classroom Performance System for pre and post testing for school groups and summer camps. • TouchPoll kiosks for general public program evaluation. • We will have four specific programs that are age-group specific and each program will have associated pre and post testing.
Helpful Improvements • Synchronized PowerPoint type slide show with additional information on the currently displayed visualization. • Closed captioning system • Descriptive Video for people with low vision.