Hi Michael; hope all's going well with "Inside Information."
 
You said:
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The Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia, PA has a large
communications exhibit with two stations on either end.  Visitors can
communcate with friends on the opposite station using various means.
 
One way they can talk to each other is by typing and sending their letter
through an air transport tube.
 
Does anyone know of a ready-made or plans for a build it yourself typewriter
that can stand up to the rigors of extensive visitor use/abuse?
 
Michael Moulton
Exhibit Developer
IIS
TFI
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Walter R. T. Witschey, Ph.D. said:
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Have you thought of using a PC with an enclosed laser printer to spit out the
letter? The keyboards are durable and easily replaced when destroyed.
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Pacific Science Center used a system somewhat like the one Dr. Witschey
described in the communications section of their new (March 1994) "TechZone"
exhibition.  It's used at a station where visitors can "desktop publish"
their own newsletter.  I had a chance to try it out in September and thought
it worked really well.  They might be able to tell you how well (or not) it
stands up to visitor use, and what types of maintenance routines they've
established.  I don't know who oversees the exhibition's upkeep, but you
could send inquiries to Ken Williams at "[log in to unmask]" and he could
forward it to the appropriate person.
 
--Todd Happer
Information Services & Publications
Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC)
Voice--202/783-7200
Fax--202/783-7207
Fax to OCR computer--202/783-6523
[log in to unmask]
America Online--THaps
CompuServe--74531,13