Shell Helmet

News Update

05/18/2023

On this week's news update: the most advanced weather satellite yet, a helmet made from shells, and a virtual reality glove.

Transcript

On this week's news update…
New Weather Satellite
The most advanced weather satellite yet…
Shell Helmet
…a helmet made from shells…
VR Glove
…and a virtual reality glove.

First up…
meteorologist

Scientists who predict the weather are called meteorologists and they use information from satellites to make weather forecasts.
Now, scientists at the European Space Agency and Eumetsat have created the most advanced weather satellite yet, the MTG-i1.

MTG-i1

The satellite takes pictures of Earth’s weather every 10 minutes, which is 5 minutes faster than older satellites.

Its cameras also capture the clouds in more detail than before, making it easier to track weather patterns and create reliable forecasts.

The MTG-i1 means meteorologists can now predict extreme weather with more accuracy than before.

The scientists who created the satellite hope it will improve weather warnings, to help keep people safe.

Up next…

Large amounts of scallop shells are thrown away by restaurants every year.

Most of these shells end up in landfills.
Shellmet
To help reduce the amount of scallop shells that end up in landfills, and turn this waste into something new, designers have collaborated to make Shellmet.

Shellmet is a specially designed helmet that reuses these scallop shells.
biomimicry

It is described by its creators as an example of biomimicry design.

This is when nature inspires a solution to a human problem.

In this case, the protective quality of the shells inspired the designers to create a helmet.

To create this new, sustainable helmet, the leftover scallop shells are boiled, ground up, and mixed with recycled plastic.

The ribbed structure of Shellmet makes it stronger than other plastic helmets.

Shellmet’s designers hope that their sustainable and stronger product will replace plastic helmets for construction site workers and cyclists.

And finally…

It’s Tech Beat…

Video game technology is constantly developing.

Now, the sense of touch is becoming more realistic in virtual reality games.
Pulse VR Glove

Designers at Bifrost have created the Pulse VR glove.

The glove contains internal sensors that allow it to track the movement and position of the hand, accurate to the millimeter.

This means that the Pulse VR glove has all the technology it needs built in, and unlike other VR gloves does not require extra computer hardware to work.

It is also made of lighter materials to allow for better movement.

When wearing the Pulse VR glove, users experience vibrations on each finger that help them to feel the size, shape, and flexibility of objects they touch in the game.

Now, the glove’s designers are hoping that game developers will begin to incorporate their technology into their new game designs, to make a more realistic gaming experience.

That's all for this week, we'll see you next time!

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Shell Helmet

Teaching overview

Learning points

Scientists have created the most advanced weather satellite yet.
Designers have collaborated to make Shellmet, a sustainable helmet made from scallop shells.
Designers have created the Pulse VR glove, improving users' ability to feel a sense of touch in virtual reality games.

Curriculum keywords

Satellite
Shells
VR Glove

This Week's Kahoot Quiz

Each week we'll be bringing you a free quiz that you can use with your students after they've enjoyed the episode.

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Spark a discussion

New Weather Satellite

What do we call scientists who predict the weather?
What is the name of the new weather satellite?
Other than keeping people safe, what other advantages do you think this new satellite could have?

Shell Helmet

What type of shells are used to make Shellmet?
What is mixed with the scallop shells to create Shellmet?
Can you think of any other uses for Shellmet that are not mentioned in the film?

VR Glove

What sense does the Pulse VR glove give people in virtual reality?
What do users experience on each finger to help them feel objects in virtual reality?
Can you think of any other uses for the Pulse VR glove?

Classroom Resources

Use these resources to get the most out of the news update and engage your class in topical science!

Video Viewing Guide

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Make Your Own Science News Update

This simple guide helps your students to create their very own science news updates.

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Language and Literacy Activities

This guide gives you ideas for how the news update can be used to support language and literacy activities.

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Shell Helmet

Transcript

Teaching overview

Learning points

Curriculum keywords

This Week's Kahoot Quiz

More from Twig Science Reporter

Watch This Episode in Spanish

Spark a discussion

New Weather Satellite

Shell Helmet

VR Glove

Classroom Resources

Video Viewing Guide

Make Your Own Science News Update

Language and Literacy Activities

Discover More About Topics Covered In This Week's Update

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