Generations of children, especially in Bengaluru have visited the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum since its establishment in 1968. But in the past two years, the museum has gotten a lot cooler, keeping up with the science and technology of the times.
The museum has introduced many new exhibits and programmes over the last two years. In July 2015, science on a sphere was introduced. It is a visualization system that uses multimedia projections to display images on a sphere, converting it into an animated globe with dynamic images of planets, ocean currents, cloud cover, pollution and natural disasters in real time,” said K Madangopal, curator of the museum.
In 2014, the museum procured the Wright Brothers’ Flyer Stimulator, which can give interested visitors experience of flying the aircraft built in 1903 by the Wright Brothers.
“The replica of the Wright Flyer is the only one in Asia and the stimulator is an addition it. The stimulator allows visitors to lie down in the exact position as Orville Wright and control the aircraft virtually,” Madangopal explained.
Besides, the museum has introduced an innovator’s hub in 2015, which allows students from across the city to pitch ideas for innovation in science and technology.
“Anyone student with an idea can become a member of the hub and the museum provides them with the necessary equipment. The students can take help from the mentors at the hub,” he added.
The working models developed at the lab will be exhibited at the museum’s annual science fare.
“A few Class 9 students from Sudarshan Vidhya Mandir are working on a project to increase the output of solar panels. A few others on the effects of wi-fi radiation on living tissue and a Class 10 girl from National Public School is working on developing a sensor that detect the presence of person(s) in a room for the deaf and blind. We have many students from various schools working on a wide range of projects,” said Bhanu Priya, a junior mentor at the lab.
The most recent introduction is a series of lectures – ‘Kapi With Kuriosity’. Experts are invited to talk about various topics related to science and technology.
The museum also organizes a Science Drama competition, where students across the eight southern states of India participate.