SBIR Phase II: Digital Starlab

这个SBIR第二期项目将开发一个基于新型计算机数字投影仪的天文馆系统。学习技术公司将利用新的微镜设备和模拟软件的最新发展。提出的天文馆系统将能够投射一个精确的、模拟的夜空，具有多种运动和显示的能力，以及动态变化的地球信息显示的能力，包括板块构造、天气模式和生物分布。投影仪体积小，配有笔记本电脑和充气圆顶，因此可以在学校系统内共享，也可以由博物馆和教育合作社借出。标准化将鼓励熟练的教师和天文馆教育者分发他们的计划和活动。集成的帮助屏幕和教程将有助于支持希望学习如何掌握该设备的教师。新系统将建立在该公司便携式天文馆系统的基础上，该系统目前被美国大约5%的学龄儿童使用。小型数字投影天文馆系统将扩大小型天文馆的市场，吸引对地球科学和多学科主题、地质学、火山学、气象学、海洋学和生物人口研究感兴趣的教师。此外，科学与人文之间的联系可以通过将探索的历史时代与天体导航科学相结合来说明。对于资源有限的学校，该系统的可携性将有助于共享使用。这样的系统将对天文学和地球科学的教学产生广泛的影响。它将使用最新的天文和地理信息系统（GIS）数据，并将有助于教学国家标准的内容，特别是在小学和中学阶段的地球科学。专业制作的互动节目可以成为天文学家和地球科学家向大量学生介绍他们的成果和科学事业性质的新场所。

This SBIR Phase II project will develop a planetarium system based on a new computerized digital projector. Learning Technologies Inc. will make use of recent developments in new micro mirror devices and simulation software. The proposed planetarium system will be capable of projecting an accurate, simulated night sky with the capacity for a multitude of motions and displays and dynamically changing information displays of the earth, including plate tectonics, weather patterns, and biological distributions. The small size of the projector with supporting laptop computer and inflatable dome will allow the units to be shared within school systems and loaned out by museums and educational cooperatives. Standardization will encourage adept teachers and planetarium educators to distribute their programs and activities. Integrated help screens and tutorials will aid in supporting teachers who wish to learn how to master this equipment. The new system will build on the firm's portable planetarium systems, which are now used by an estimated 5% of the school age children in the U.S.A small digital-projection planetarium system will expand the market for small planetariums to teachers interested in earth science and multidisciplinary topics, geology, volcanism, meteorology, oceanography, and biological population studies. In addition, the connections between science and the humanities can be illustrated by coupling the historical age of exploration with the science of celestial navigation. For schools with limited resources, the system's portability will facilitate shared use. Such a system will have a broad impact on the teaching of astronomy and earth science. It will use the latest astronomical and Geographic Information System (GIS) data, and it will aid in teaching the content of the national standards, especially earth science at the elementary and middle school level. Professionally produced interactive shows can be a new venue for astronomers and earth scientists to inform large numbers of students of their results and of the nature of the scientific enterprise.