technoquest

TECHNIQUEST


SOUND DISH

1. WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DEVICE?

The aim of the device is to send sound to a long distance with out having to use any electricity. Its a very simple design, consisting in a pair of enormous dishes similar to a parabolic antenna that are situated one in front of the other with a little loop in the middle separated from the centre of the dish in about a foot. The way it works is concentrating the wave sounds emitted by someone and redirecting it to the opposite side. The direction of the sound is very precise and the two sound dishes have to be exactly in front of each other for a correct reception of the waves. In the case of Techniquest, the dishes were aproximatly 15 meters of from each other, and one and a half meters wide.

2. WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

I would think that the target audience is to people from 9 years old up to 15 or 16 although I find it suitable for people over that age. But if a make a certain specification its because I think that a 9 year old kid now days is capable of understanding how the device works and not just see that it sends the sound from one dish and receives it in the other but actually knowing that the waves concentrate in the middle of the dish and spreads them away the a certain direction. For someone over 15 or 16 I think that its just simple and that it may be a curious thing to see but not much of a challenge.

HOW HAS THIS INFLUENCED THE DESING?

The design is quit childish painted in orange colours with little coloured circles and instruction panels just next to it. The aspect of the divice gives an idea of something ment for young teenagers and kids.

3. HOW ARE THE DEMANDS FOR ENTEREAINMENT OR EDUCATION EXPRESSED?

I really think that its really an educational artefact because it explains in a very simple way what are the waves comportment and how if you compared with a mirror you get to understand that sound isn't something you can see or touch but that exists as a wave form. About entertainment, I don’t think that its something that enthusiasm everyone, but more probably to a certain part of people that enjoy the scientific part of the life.

4. OBSEVATIONS, INTERPRETATIONS AND INTERACION.

During the time I spent looking at how the people tried to use the sound dish, there where many that didn’t understand right away what it really was, because with just a small look at it isn’t enough to understand what it is for, so in that case people usually gave a look to the instructions´ panel and from here, something like a 50 % of the people still didn’t realise what it was for. The other half just look backwards and saw the other dish. Out of the first 50 % half of them left disappointed, and the other would try to look for something that gave the device any sense. Once that people understood the meaning of an enormous dish in middle of no where, if they were by them selves, they would usually go a search for someone to try the artefact, the same in the case of the people that saw it in pair of two or three. The average age of the kids was about 12 years old, there was a group of them in the centre.