Presentation Information
[PO2-04]Development of a Planetarium Program Experienced with Tactile Sky Charts
*Rin Nodera1,2, Rieko Taito3, Akira Murai1, Asato Ishikawa1, Taku Takizawa3 (1. Kurobe Yoshida Science Museum (Japan), 2. University of Toyama (Japan), 3. Studio Konpeito (Japan))
Keywords:
Blind,Braille,Deaf,Hearing impaired,Tactile graphics
At the Kurobe Yoshida Science Museum, we produced a planetarium program designed to provide a shared experience for visitors with and without visual or hearing impairments. The program, titled “Furetarium: Touch, See, and Feel the Universe,” offers an interactive experience by allowing all audience members to explore tactile sky charts during the show. The tactile materials were created using a Swell Form Machine and distributed to every visitor regardless of disability.
The story is presented as a conversation between a grandfather and his granddaughter. The program consists of two parts: the first half introduces constellations, while the second offers a virtual space journey using astronomy software. In the first part, the granddaughter introduces Lyra, Cygnus, and Aquila through tactile star charts adapted from materials developed by the Watanabe Laboratory at Niigata University, with modifications to the text and illustrations. In the second part, the grandfather explains the distances to planets and stars, as well as the evolution of the universe and the Earth from their formation to the present day. These explanations are accompanied by tactile diagrams, including one showing the distances from the Sun to nearby stars and another representing a “cosmic clock” that illustrates the temporal scales of the universe and the Earth. To enhance accessibility for visitors with hearing impairments, subtitles were added—displaying the grandfather’s lines in blue and the granddaughter’s in red.
Feedback from visually impaired visitors indicated that the tactile sky charts were easy to understand. A parent of a visually impaired child commented that touching the sky charts in a dark environment helped the parent imagine how their child perceives the world. These findings suggest that the program contributes to inclusive and accessible astronomical education.
The story is presented as a conversation between a grandfather and his granddaughter. The program consists of two parts: the first half introduces constellations, while the second offers a virtual space journey using astronomy software. In the first part, the granddaughter introduces Lyra, Cygnus, and Aquila through tactile star charts adapted from materials developed by the Watanabe Laboratory at Niigata University, with modifications to the text and illustrations. In the second part, the grandfather explains the distances to planets and stars, as well as the evolution of the universe and the Earth from their formation to the present day. These explanations are accompanied by tactile diagrams, including one showing the distances from the Sun to nearby stars and another representing a “cosmic clock” that illustrates the temporal scales of the universe and the Earth. To enhance accessibility for visitors with hearing impairments, subtitles were added—displaying the grandfather’s lines in blue and the granddaughter’s in red.
Feedback from visually impaired visitors indicated that the tactile sky charts were easy to understand. A parent of a visually impaired child commented that touching the sky charts in a dark environment helped the parent imagine how their child perceives the world. These findings suggest that the program contributes to inclusive and accessible astronomical education.