Gyrolog – Developing a Digital Collection of Gyro Instruments for Historical and Didactical Research

Abstract

AbstractTechnical artefacts and instruments form an essential part of cultural heritage. If historically analysed and suitably explained, they provide insights into developments and objects that had and still have a significant influence upon our present civilization. Without any explanation and contextualization, however, these objects will remain stubbornly silent, especially if they are technically complex or highly encapsulated.Based on a gyroscope collection at the University of Stuttgart, the Gyrolog project intends to take these instruments out of their black boxes by digital means. These inconspicuous yet indispensable objects of many of today's key technologies (from automatic car navigation to handheld devices) are of prime interest to historians of technology as well as to technical didactics and to technical museums. The project will render the unique gyroscope collection at the University of Stuttgart digitally accessible and, moreover, will virtually unite it with smaller collections at other institutions.Apart from their importance for daily life technologies, gyroscopes have always been of prime military interest as well. Reproducing the artefacts digitally will therefore open further ways to science and technology studies of dual use technologies.Gyrolog aims at a basic digital representation of all gyroscopes found in German collections. At the centrepiece of the project, however, cutting edge imaging and digitalizing technologies will exhibit carefully selected objects literally in depth. By combining advanced animation and optical technologies, Gyrolog seeks to present a unique technical collection in digital format as well as an elaborated methodical approach for exploring complex small technical artefacts.