MOXI Museum Pilot LaserComm Activity

Sam Shaw at the MOXI Wolf Science Museum held a pilot workshop on August 11 to test out the PhoSoc LaserComm activity with local kids and families. (You can use our original LaserComm instructions to build your own at home!) 
The newly revised activity uses laser cut components, printed circuit boards and 3D Printed mounts to allow museum visitors to focus entirely on manipulating light. 

​We made all the components fit onto a peg-board, which has sides to prevent stray laser light and allow kids to see where the light is going. The activity includes the following components:

• Red Laser & LED transmitters that send music from a connected iPad/iPod. Powered by USB adaptors.
• Solar-Cell Receivers hooked up to portable speakers for immediate audible feedback.
• Mirrors mounted to pegs (One with a plastic coat to diffuse the light)
• Tape on Plexiglass acting as optical diffuser
• Three different glass lenses mounted to flat bases
• Bent Plastic “Guide” mounted to flat base
• 3 tall Walls on pegs, to make a “challenge” where kids have to get the light to reach a detector behind the Wall. 
• Fog machine or Dry Ice for making beams visible.