Thames & Kosmos DLX, Experiment Manual, Page: 70 / 132

KEYWORD: IR REMOTE CONTROL
You are already familiar with this kind of remote
control, since it’s the same technology used in the
remote for your stereo or television set.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
By now you should be familiar with the IR remote.
IR stands for infrared, which is electromagnetic
radiation that comprises light waves in the range
between visible light (700 nanometers) and longer
wavelengths (up to 1 millimeter). When
transmitting data by infrared, the devices have to
be in sight of each other. Obstacles such as
bookcases or tables will result in loss of contact.
The range of your IR remote control is about 7
meters. To control devices over longer distances,
people use options such as WLAN and UMTS
(see “Check it out,” page 87).
Elevator with rope winch
YOU WILL NEED
› The assembled elevator
› IR remote control
› 5 AA batteries or 5 AA rechargeable batteries
› Masking tape
› Toy figure
HERE’S HOW
1. Use three small pieces of masking tape to mark the
“floor levels” of three different “stories” on one of the
four vertical support pieces.
2. If you like, place a toy figure in the cabin of your
elevator.
3. Now try operating the elevator between different
stories. See if you can stop the bottom edge of the
elevator cabin right at the marked locations.
DID YOU KNOW?
Passenger elevators have been in existence for a
long time. They didn’t really start to become
popular until 1853, when the American Elisha
Graves Otis invented the fall-proof elevator. As soon
as passenger elevators were safe, the era of the
skyscraper followed. After all, you wouldn’t be able
to reach their top stories very easily without an
elevator.
TIP!
It is possible for the
signals from your IR
remote to interfere
with those from other
IR remotes or vice
versa.
EXPERIMENT 10
68