Semester 1 2017: Da Vincis – Years 4, 5 and 6
Venue: Alphington Grammar School
Gadgets and Gismos
Gadgets are everywhere. Boys and girls, mums and dads use them at home, at school and at work, for exercise and for
entertainment. You might think that this is a modern phenomenon, but we have been using technology to make life easier
for centuries. For example, our modern-day computer programming languages can be traced back to the first codex
developed by inventor Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th century. Charles Babbage invented the first computer, the Analytical
Engine in the 1800s and his ideas were worked on by Ada Lovelace, a famous mathematician, around the same time. In this
semester, we will explore the evolution of some amazing gadgets, from initial idea to present day manifestation. Using this
knowledge as a guide, we’ll construct our own creations to make work, art and play lots more convenient and fun.
11 February
Meeting 1: I Am The Voice
(focus: sound technology)
Long before Delta Goodrem and the Madden brothers appeared on television, inventors were finding ways to use voices to
entertain or be useful in one way or another. In the 1880s, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison created recording
devices, one of which was known as a dictaphone. A person could dictate and record a letter which could then be
transcribed by a typist. A hundred years later, speech recognition software was developed, leading to the voice being able
to control commands on modern computers and smartphones – with this software you can open programs, search the
internet, and convert spoken words into text. In this meeting, we’ll explore some modern speech recognition programs, and
experiment with the many ways that we can convert speech to text, and back the other way. We will also how we can use
voice control with the NXT robot using the sound sensor.
25 February
Meeting 2: Beware the Batbot!
(focus: programming ultrasonic sensors)
Learning from bats and whales, inventors have created gadgets that bounce high frequency sound waves off objects to
navigate underwater and in the dark. These are known as ultrasonic waves, as they are above the range of human hearing.
In this meeting, we will delve into the evolution of ultrasonics, from echo sounders and submarine navigation systems, to
the motion sensor alarms used to detect unwelcome intruders, and state of the art medical imaging. Can you build an
ultrasonic batbot, and program it to navigate a pitch-dark labyrinth?
18 March
Meeting 3: I See the Light
(focus: programming light sensors)
Have you ever wondered how smartphone cameras work? In the 1920s, Albert Einstein won a Nobel Prize for explaining the
photoelectric effect which occurs when photons of light knock electrons out of metal. This sparked the development of an
amazing array of light sensors, starting with chunky vacuum tubes and evolving into the tiny modern light sensors found in
gadgets from webcams to barcode scanners. In this meeting, we will look at the development of light sensors over the
years, the gadgets that use them, and set a series of visual challenges for our NXT robots.
25 March
Meeting 4: Light Up Your Life
(focus: optics/colour and technology)
The spotlight is on you in this week’s meeting as we investigate the gadgetry and programming techniques that make stage
shows shine. Actors have been pounding the boards since before the invention of electricity. In the 1500s, they had to make
do with candles and oil lamps, tinted by coloured liquid in bottles! Theatre lighting has come a long way since then, from
the first gas and lime lights, to banks of electric light switches and the programmable systems that create the lighting
spectaculars we enjoy today. Put your coding skills to the test and dazzle us with your own original light show.
29 April
Meeting 5: The Ultimate Gadget House
(focus: Intelligent technology)
Why settle for a collection of small gadgets when you can automate your whole house? In the 1950s, before the technology
was invented, science fiction writers told stories of automated houses that cooked, cleaned, controlled appliances, and gave
helpful reminders to their inhabitants. It took until 1984 for the first real-life smart homes to emerge. Today, we can control
everything from our heating to our doors using smartphone apps and sensors. In this meeting, we will look at the history of
intelligent homes, and use sound, light and ultrasonic sensors to engineer the house of our dreams.
13 May
Meeting 6: Step It Up
(focus: fitness technology)
Have you ever used an activity tracking gizmo to check your daily step count? You might not know that Leonardo da Vinci
first came up with the idea for a step-counting gadget, and the first pedometer (step counter) was produced in 1770 by
Swiss inventor Abraham-Louis Perrelet. In this meeting, we will retrace the steps of the pedometer pioneers, from da Vinci
to Fitbit founders James Park and Eric Friedman. With their knowledge to guide us, we will hit the ground running to create
our own exercise accessory.
27 May
Meeting 7: Let’s Get Animated
(focus: animation)
If you ask your parents about Inspector Gadget, they might start humming an embarrassing tune or even singing out loud!
This classic animated series had a hero with gadgets for every occasion, including telescope arms, binocular eyes, and
helicopter blades that came out of his hat. In this meeting, we’ll explore the history of animation, from the pre-film
zoetrope to the latest digital techniques, and create our own gadget-filled animated features using an iPad and Lego Movie
Maker.
17 June
Meeting 8: Project Your Imagination
(focus: Video projection mapping)
Tablets are great, but typing can be tricky without a keyboard. A clever gadget invented in 2002 uses a ‘magic cube’
projector to display a virtual laser computer keyboard, which works just like a real one. In this meeting, we will look at the
history of projection technology, from the plastic sheet projectors of the 1950s, to slide shows, to the pocket projectors we
have today. Then we will transform the room with an unforgettable finale: our own White Night projection festival.
About the presenter
Mark Maxwell is an artist and workshop presenter. His practice encompasses marques, woodwork, building, animation, set
design and lighting. When creating miniature models, he explores engineering principles and tries to design projects that
promote open-ended creativity. Mark has completed an Art and Design degree and has worked as technical engineer in
many theatres. He presents workshops for Regional Arts Victoria, which bring professional art practitioners to schools,
community groups, art galleries, libraries and art festivals.