[accessibleimage] Rocket Models Exhibit

Hi,
News from Steve Landau from Touch Graphics that the interactive 3D rocket model at NY Hall of Science is now launched!
Regards,
Lisa
http://www.touchgraphics.com/rocket.htm
Interactive 3D Touch Rocket Model
As part of its Phase 2 SBIR grant from the National Science Foundation, Touch Graphics is exploring a new technology for making museum exhibits more accessible for blind and low vision visitors. We are creating a touchable model of the Hall’s Rocket Park; the park includes two actual artifacts from the US space program from the 1960’s: a Mercury spacecraft set on a Titan rocket booster, and a Gemini capsule set on an Atlas booster.

The model, set in a prominent position inside the museum, next to large windows with a view of the actual rockets, will allow visitors to interact through a combination of listening, looking and touching. The company has commissioned a new electronic device that is capable of detecting when a person touches any one of 54 discreet metal parts on the model; this information is sent to a computer, which then plays back identifying audio information on the part that was touched.

Additionally, the exhibit provides historical overview information on the space program, and will even include an alphabetical index of the parts of the model, from which the user will select something of interest, and then have his or her hand coached to the place on the model where that part can be found.

The Rocket Model has been shown publicly at the 2005 Association of Science and Technology Centers conference in Richmond, Virginia, USA, and at the National Center for Tactile Diagrams 2005 Conference in Birmingham, England.

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