Seeing the air

Heating air and causing convection can cause local density changes in the air, and different densities of air have different refractive indices for light. Light passing through areas with different densities of air will undergo corresponding refraction and distortion. The exhibit utilizes schlieren imaging technology to showcase the flow of air, with an interactive area in front of the concave mirror on the right and a heating device below. On the left side, there is a light source and a high-speed camera, which is connected to the television. After the exhibit is launched, the heating device in front of the concave mirror is activated to heat the surrounding air. visitors performs some actions to change the air flow in the interactive area, and the air flow status will be displayed in real time on the TV.

The unit is designed for unsupervised public use: controls are recessed or shielded, moving parts are enclosed, and the interface is operable by a child of about six with no instruction. Where a screen is used, the language can be switched without changing the hardware, and the content can be replaced on site.