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"Nuts and bolts":
interactive exibits
Exhibit
development & fabrication
Designs
& performance specifications
Discovery
Disks: mobile mini-interactives
'Beam Cam' projecting video microscope
Underwater
Street Discovery Centre
Moscow
Planetarium
Sellafield
Visitor Centre
'Alternative
energy'
Earth
Science
Fixed
Discovery Disks, Glasgow
Air-table,
telescope, moon-phases
Astronomy
exhibits for Valencia
Biometrics
Magnetic
field exhibit for CERN, Geneva
Tabletop
Discovery Disks: magnetism
Tabletop
Discovery Disks: Light
More
Light interactives
"Academic"
interactives: The Energy Enzyme
"Academic
interactives": Electron beams
"Academic
interactives": Mantle geology
Working
canal-lock model
Virtual
exhibit: Ich bin einmalig
Chemistry
interactives: Chirality
Video
microscopes: Melting crystal
Push-button
quiz: Breath of life
Environmental
& biological
Cookbook
outlines of my 1992 "classical" Great Explorations interactives
Talk to me!
UK phone/fax
+44 (0) 1663 743794
Email ian@interactives.co.uk
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'Beam Cam'
A self-focusing video microscope with a projector
 
 
See also the similar video-microscope table configuration.
The projector
Various proprietary portable video projectors will readily fit inside the base unit, ensuring that the system is ‘future-proof’ and readily upgradable. Currently, we recommend the latest Panasonic projectors. These are excellent, budget-cost projectors with 2,000 – 3,000 hours lamp-life and reasonably priced replacement lamps. Also, they are designed so that they can be shut down and started up simply by disconnecting and reconnecting the mains electrical power supply. For museum and visitor centre use, this is extremely convenient. Recommended UK supplier: Av4business Limited, Leeds, telephone number 01924 423331.
The screen
There is huge creative potential when it comes to the screen. Any surface suitable for a video projector can be used, including walls. Pale, neutral-coloured, non-shiny surfaces work best. Back-projection offers further possibilities, using fabrics, stretched vinyl or acrylic panels. The screen can be as large as you like, purely depending on distance and the projector’s zoom-setting.
The camera
The ruggedly built upper enclosure securely houses a simple, reliable video camera with a ring of cool, zero-maintenance LED lights around the lens. If required the enclosure can be opened by removing four Allen-screws, in order to adjust the magnification setting. Once this is set to the preferred level, there is no need to touch it again. The lens focuses itself on the centimetre grid of black lines on the table below it. The auto-focus lens will immediately find any object held on or above the table. This provides a simple, intuitive and user-friendly ‘zoom’ feature. To make it bigger, you just hold it closer to the camera. Because there are no user controls at all, maintenance issues are avoided.
The power supply
Power consumption is about 250W, with a normal mains power supply. A mains power lead with a single plug would normally be connected to a floor-level socket. If required the unit could be specially modified for an overhead power connection.
The camera enclosure
The camera enclosure is made from Corian (see www.corian.com for more information). This amazing and beautifully tactile material comes in a huge range of possible colours and finishes. Many resemble stone, but plain colours are also available. Every Beam-Cam is specially made to order, so you can choose whichever finish you prefer.
The base-unit (projector) enclosure
The main base-unit is made from laminated MDF with a soft vinyl bumper-strip around the table edge. Again, you can specify any commercially available laminate finish from the huge range of available options (for example, see www.formica.com).
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