Sponsors:
Cambridge 2001-2002
Light it UpPowerpoint Presentation | Meet the team
The Exhibit
This exhibit consists of a collection of optical fibers and light guides illuminated by white LED lights, with filters to change the color of the lights. Children can control the light and the color, and trace the various light guides to the end of the path.
The Design Process
The team first brainstormed about exhibit ideas, then picked a topic after getting hands-on experience with some light guides and fiber-optic "tree." After focusing on a topic, they learned some of the sciences behind light guides and fiber optics. Since everyone had different ideas on what the exhibit should look like, the girls all made sketches and prototypes to explain their ideas to each other, then voted to decide on the final design.
During prototyping, many questions were raised about the exhibit design. What type of light source is appropriate? The light must be strong enough, yet produce little amount of heat to keep the exhibit safe. The team agreed on using LED lights, which are very bright yet produce very little heat. An added advantage of the LED lights was that the bulb does not burn out, making it easier for the museum to maintain the exhibit. What type of light guides fiber optics should we use? The choices included acrylic and glass light guides, various types of glass and plastic fibers, all with different diameters, with or without coating materials. In the end, the girls agreed to use a wide variety of light guides and fibers in the exhibit.
One of the biggest challenges faced by the girls was to work as a team. They found that letting everyone explain the ideas, trying everything out and experimenting, and voting were some effective methods for working together.
Related Links
How Fiber Optics Work
[http://www.howstuffworks.com/fiber-optic.htm]InternetNews.com
[http://inews.webopedia.com/TERM/F/fiber_optics.html]Direct Links to Other Optics Pages
[http://www.play-hookey.com/optics/]History of Fiber Optics
[http://www.sff.net/people/Jeff.Hecht/history.html]Looking at a Place in the Fiber Optic Business
[http://www.rwm.org/rwm/fib.shtml]
