LabVIEW Software Helps Teach Visitors Critical Thinking Skills at Boston's
Museum of Science

BOSTON, MASS -- APRIL 30, 1996 -- Boston's Museum of Science is using
LabVIEW virtual instrumentation software and data acquisition (DAQ)
hardware from National Instruments (Austin, Texas) in a revolutionary new
exhibit that builds visitors' confidence and ability in scientific
thinking. With Investigate! A See-For-Yourself Exhibit, visitors step
right into the role of scientist -- asking questions, conducting
experiments, and drawing conclusions. The goal of Investigate! is to help
people recognize and develop scientific thinking skills. The "hands-on,
minds-on" exhibit is funded by a $1.6 million grant from the National
Science Foundation, funds from private foundations, corporate sponsors
including National Instruments, and private individuals. A portion of
these funds subsidized a workshop for more than 30 museum exhibit
developers from around the country to learn how Investigate! was
developed.

Investigate! makes visitors responsible for their own learning. In one
activity, LabVIEW monitors how visitors react to questions, smells, and
sounds by graphing fingertip voltage.

"The purpose of the exhibit is to have visitors draw their own conclusions
from data they actively accumulate -- answers are not simply provided by
the Museum," said Larry Ralph, Director of Exhibit Design and Production
at the Museum. "So when we were developing the exhibit, we looked for a
software environment that gave us ease of programming, an ability to
construct a custom user interface that would appeal to many different
visitors, and an adaptability to a wide variety of sensors. LabVIEW
delivers all of this -- plus, we can create run-time exhibits that are
resistant to 'hacking' from visitors."

INVESTIGATE! ENCOURAGES SCIENTIFIC THINKING

Investigate!, a 4,200 sq ft exhibit, is divided into three sections. The
Lure of Questions elicits curiosity and hypothesizing -- critical aspects
of thinking like a scientist. In The Search for Evidence, visitors use
scientific methods of investigation to explore phenomena that affect our
daily lives. In The Art of Drawing Conclusions, visitors learn how to
interpret evidence and draw their own conclusions.

Eight Macintosh-based stations in the exhibit feature LabVIEW software and
a variety of interface hardware options that are used by visitors to
conduct a wide variety of experiments. The stations include:

* Skin Sensor -- Similar in concept to a lie detector, the skin resistance
sensor controlled by LabVIEW monitors visitor reacts to questions, smells,
and sounds by graphing fingertip voltage in real time.

* Go With the Flow -- Visitors use LabVIEW to explore how a fish's shape
determines its speed and ability to navigate. LabVIEW monitors special
sensors, which determine the friction caused by the shape of each fish.
Visitors can also determine the friction caused by a rubber ball or a
square block.

* Galileo's Drop Stop -- Visitors repeat Galileo's experiments at the
Leaning Tower of Pisa. Visitors drop various objects, such as a rubber
ball and a crumpled piece of paper, simultaneously from a 12-foot tower.
LabVIEW measures the acceleration of each object and graphs the results.

* Motion Match -- Using a Polaroid ultrasonic motion detector read by a
serial port device controlled by LabVIEW, visitors either match given
time/distance patterns (graphs) on the Macintosh screen or create their
own.

* Temperature Investigation Station -- Visitors can monitor and review
real-time data acquisition with LabVIEW controlling a Lab-NB plug- in DAQ
board that uses special sensors to measure increases or decreases in
temperature. Supplied with hot and cold water as well as paper cups,
styrofoam cups, and a fan, visitors can explore whether hot water cools
down faster in a paper or styrofoam cup; if blowing on a hot liquid cools
it more quickly; and whether hot or cool liquid approaches ambient
temperature more quickly.

* Museum Buttons -- Visitors test various styles of pushbuttons and give
their opinions on their favorites. LabVIEW keeps tally and graphs the
scores. "This is a real problem for us, because we want to use pushbuttons
that work the best for an extended period of time," said Mr. Ralph. "So
LabVIEW is also helping us with the maintenance of all our Museum
exhibits."

LabVIEW is also involved in the Idea Exchange, which is a series of
computer and video stations located throughout the exhibit. Visitors use
these stations to find out what others think about a given problem, check
accumulating data, and record their own results and conclusions for others
to see. For example, one Idea Exchange involves the design of a solar car.
Users select the one characteristic they believe is the most important in
the success of a solar car (such as level of light, gear ratio, weight of
the car, and so on). They then build a model car and race it on a solar
track. LabVIEW collects the data from each visitor regarding their
resulting car design to share with future visitors.

"Investigate! breaks down the psychological barriers many people have
around science and creates a fun, dynamic environment where everyone can
experience the joy of discovery," said David W. Ellis, President and
Director of the Museum. "With practice, thinking like a scientist could be
as natural as driving a car or riding a bike."

ABOUT NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

National Instruments, headquartered in Austin, Texas, manufactures software
and hardware products for PCs and workstations that scientists and
engineers worldwide use to build virtual instrumentation systems. These
systems are used for research and industrial applications, such as
automated testing, laboratory automation, advanced research, industrial
control, factory automation, physiological monitoring, numerical analysis,
and data visualization.

National Instruments stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market System
under the symbol NATI. Further information on National Instruments may be
obtained from the company's SEC filings or by directly contacting the
company's Investor Relations Department at (512) 349-5090.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE

Recognized as one of the leading, informal science educational institutions
in the United States, the Museum of Science (a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit
organization), located in Boston, Mass., takes a hands-on approach to
science that attracts more than 1.6 million visitors annually. Appealing
to children and adults alike, this world-class, pioneering science
institution, representing all the basic sciences, invites people to learn
about and enjoy science by participating in fun-filled, creative
activities. The Museum is open daily (Closed on Thanksgiving and
Christmas) from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Saturday- Thursday (until 7:00 p.m.
from July 5-Sept. 2) and 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. on Friday. For more
information about the Museum of Science, call (617) 723-2500.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information about Investigate! A See-For-Yourself Exhibit, call
Carol Thistle at (617) 589-0255. Information is also available on the
World Wide Web at http://www.mos.org/mos/tempex/investigate.html

For more information about LabVIEW or virtual instrumentation, contact:

National Instruments
6504 Bridge Point Parkway
Austin, Texas
78730-5039
(512) 794-0100

Or call toll free in the U.S. and Canada at (800) 433-3488, fax (512)
794-8411, e-mail info@natinst.com. Readers can also access information
through the company's InstrumentationWeb at http://www.natinst.com
 
 =========================================================
 From the 'New Product News' Electronic News Service on...
 AOL (Keyword = New Products) and Delphi (GO COMP PROD)
 =========================================================
 This information was processed from data provided by the
 company/author mentioned. For additional details, please
 contact them directly at the address/phone# indicated.
 Trademarks are the property of their respective owners!
 =========================================================
 All submissions for this service should be addressed to:
 BAKER ENTERPRISES,  20 Ferro Dr,  Sewell, NJ  08080  USA
 Email:   rbakerpc@aol.com   --or--   rbakerpc@delphi.com
 =========================================================
