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> My name is Erin Ries and I am a senior in Graphic Design at Iowa State
University. I am
> helping figure out some
> fabrication for an Environment Exhibit design with one of the exhibit classes
here. The
> exhibit is geared towards
> younger children and will be installed in a conservation center. I have compiled
a list of
> questions regarding the different
> aspects and part of the exhibit I am unsure about. If you would like to me to
post some
> images to help in understanding
> the exhibit better, let me know.
>
> If you have any suggestions or answers to any of these questions please let me
know.
> Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.
>
> The Questions:
>
> 1. There is a large magnet board that the children will be placing magnets on.
How would
> we fabricate the actual board
> itself? Is there a metal that would work better then others? And more
specifically we
> would like to have an image/scene
> on the board. How would we fabricate that? Would it need to be a digital
printout attached
> onto the metallic surface or
> would that scratch too easy? Is  there a different way that an image could be
applied so
> that  it can still be used as a
> magnet board with the least amount of upkeep? How do we protect the image from
scratch
> abuse from the magnets?
>
> 2. One of the exhibits uses a balance scale in order to show how certain things
would be
> good or bad choices for the
> environment. So when tokens are placed in either side, the scale would tip. Do
you know of
> anywhere that sells or would
> create such as scale? Do you or anyone else you know have experience with scale
exhibits
> that would be willing to look
> at the image? As a second component for the exhibit, instead of showing the
weight of the
> tokens it would change the
> smile of the persons face regarding which way the scale is tipped. Can you refer
us to
> anyone that might know how to
> make something like that work or be able to fabricate it?
>
> 3.Several of the exhibit designs require push buttons that either light up or
activate
> something. Can you suggest any
> good suppliers of such buttons? What type of button would be used to activate
rotating
> panels?
>
> 4. Another part of the exhibit uses a shingshot/pinball type mechanism to
project a ball
> into a hole for an interactive
> aspect. Do you know of anywhere to purchase such a deviice from? or do you know
how we
> would fabricate a pinball
> device to project the ball? There is also a part in the exhibit that blows wind
so that
> light weight particles/balls float
> from one side of a inclined box to the other. What type of wind creating machine
would we
> use to blow the objects
> around? Can we buy it or would we need someone to create something like that?
>
> 5. AND finally....... This last part of the exhibit uses fading lights to show
the changes
> in the numbers of wildlife found
> in the area. So there is a use of lights starting out bright and diming as the
years go on
> and then getting brighter again
> when the numbers increase again. It shows a timeline effect using light as the
graph of
> the data. Where can we get lights
> that we can control how bright and dim it is? Are there different colors, sizes,
shapes?
> Are there different kinds or ways
> of doing this same thing that might be cheaper or easier?
>
> Again Email me and let me know if you would like me to post some PDF images if
it would
> help anyone.
> Thanks again
>
> Erin Ries
>
>
>
>
>

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