Left: "The Human Conductor".  Right: A group of students experimenting with the Human Conductor. They kept adding more students to see how many people the signal would pass through.

Directions:  Touch one plate with one hand and then touch the other plate with your remaining hand or touch one plate with one hand and then have someone else touch the other plate and then touch your remaining hands together.  When you hear a sound  you are conducting a small amount of electricity from a battery through your body to turn on an oscillator, which produces the sound.  To date the largest group to join hands with the Human Conductor is over 60 children at once and the signal went through successfully!!!

How it works!  A small electrical signal from a battery is sent to the disks and is conducted through your body.  By touching the large disk and any of the small disks you become the wire that completes the circuit allowing the signal to turn on a synthesizer. More users increase the conduction of the signal, which adds more charge to the signal, which in turn produces lower tones.  The picture above shows the exhibit working through over 40 children.  

Touch circuit technology will someday replace many of the mechanical switches currently in use, as mechanical switches are prone to break downs due to dirt contamination and wear.

This is a touch sensitive oscillator. To use this exhibit  students touch the two metal  plates at the same time. The device in turn conducts a small electrical signal that turns on a oscillator which creates a sound. As more students touch the plates the sound develops a deep tonal quality that is reminiscent of musical notes. The exhibit can also link through a number of students in a row if one touches one plate and the other touches the other plate and  in turn they touch their remaining hands together. It is extremely fun to use and illustrates touch switch technology, electrical conductance and oscillator theory. The text supplied on the exhibit discusses the theory and applications  for the technology. It operates on a totally isolated power supply at approximately 6 VDC. The main power is supplied by one 120 V AC grounded outlet.  A Solar powered version is available at no additional cost. The exhibit is available in a wide variety of colors.   Price $1,600.oo US plus shipping and crating. Please allow 8 weeks for fabrication and delivery.