Luigi Galvani: Animal Electricity

My Role with ScienceVR:
Prototyping | Development

Luigi Galvani, the pioneer of electrophysiology, discovered that in the presence of a static electricity generator, the legs of dead frogs would twitch when he touched them with metal. He theorized that when alive, animals generate electricity to make movements.

After putting on the magic hat (to see invisible forces), the player cranks the static electricity generator and can make the frog leg twitch by touching it with the metal probe. The audio and haptic feedback of the crank create the illusion that the user is physically generating electricity.

Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta: Sources of Electricity

My Role with ScienceVR:
Prototyping | Development

While dissecting a frog, Luigi Galvani was surprised to discover that the frog leg would twitch. He thought that the metal was conducting intrinsic animal electricity. Alessandro Volta contended that the effect was from contact between two different metals in a conductive solution. This led to the discovery of the first battery.

The player experiments with different materials to probe the frog legs. The two sets of legs are sitting on different metal plates. Specific combinations of metal probes with the metal plates make the frog legs twitch. The frog twitch effect, which combines audio, visual, and haptic feedback, creates a moment of delight, especially among young players. In user testing, this was a clear favorite, and players wanted to go back into VR just to probe the frog legs.

Charles Babbage: Computing math with gears

My Role with ScienceVR:
Concept and interaction design | Prototyping | Development | User Testing

Charles Babbage, the father of the modern computer, invented the use of gears and cranks to perform mathematical computations.

In this experience, the player visits Charles Babbage’s salon to see his analytic engine at work. This simplified machine allows the player to manually crank and see how gears can be used to perform addition.