English: Vaguely peering out from behind interactive crystals, Scientist, Inventor, Roboticist, Artist; John Adrian Siegel, the leader of the MRISAR R&D team, is seen here during a test run for a hand crafted interactive technological art prototype called the Touch Spectrum; It features a touch sensitive oscillator that produces light and sound patterns in relation to how the touch plates are operated. In simple terms: This device combines touch switch technology with a rich complement of harmonics and sound effects, that are accented with numerous LED lights in the column and dome that relate approximations of amplitude and frequency. The touch portion of the circuit is totally isolated from the power source, as the touch circuit is powered by photon emissions from a small florescent light in the inner casing. The florescent light and the rest of the electronics are powered by one grounded 120V AC outlet or alternately by a solar cell. In more exacting terms; This device is a unique application of sensory and energy technologies in the fact that it encompasses a wide range of energy conversion: transformation of energy relating to the first law of thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. In this instance the power source is AC for the main power supply, which originates in the typical combustible to magnetic flux and kinetic method. Arriving AC is transformed and rectified into DC, electrochemically stored, used to operate a LED array and power an amplifier circuit. Part of the power is reclaimed from the LED photon emissions to utilize photovoltaics which safely and with total isolation from the AC source, power a touch sensitive oscillator that in a sense is a step back to AC with its terms of cyclic operation, but at very low voltage and ultra-low amperage potentials, which at that point are also closer to a square wave as opposed to the classic sine pattern of AC. The output of the oscillator which is the sound effects generator is converted to IR infrared in the range 930–950 nm which travels by photon emissions to a phototransistor to be processed back into an amplified electrical signal and then processed and further amplified into motion within the speaker to create sound. Other aspects of energy transference and adaptation in the device relate to a circuit that on a linear scale of reference converts the electrical pattern of the sound into colorful photonic emissions to illuminate and refract light in a series of plastic crystals. This is similar in principle to a color organ in that aspect of the circuit, but on a more refined linear incremental scale of operation. Human users relate to the experiments that can be performed with the device as if it were magic. The control signal for the device uses the human users as the wire to complete, activate and harmonically control the sound and light effects from six sets of two active plates. Tests have been successful with controlling the device with a signal though as many as seventy five people at a time from a single set of the plates. Operation of a device though touch control by conduction has variables based on the thickness and dryness of skin, calluses or other aspects of lessor thickening of skin from hard work and effects from moisture and climatic factors. The device also is relevant in that it uses art in combination with science to enrich scientific understandings. It is interesting to note that electronic art combines elements that in times prior to the electrical age would have been considered alchemy or magic. Crystalline elements, chemical layers, elements of timing duration, conductivity, photons, sound and photovoltaics play a part in this creative venue which can also extend into electromechanical and kinetic elements when wished.

     Devices like this are for public use in museum environments and help educate millions of people worldwide. Science in combination with art relates to a better understanding of engineering and technology. Some of the scientific disciplines used in the design of the technological, interactive art prototypes are Electronics, Kinetics, Touch Switch Technology, Energy Conversion, Photovoltaic and Photonic science, Electrochemical science, Electrical Conductance, Optoelectronic science, Oscillator theory, Amplification and Sound Generation principles. Many of the technologies that the team invents are used in both their museum exhibits and their humanitarian prototypes (like Rehabilitation Robotics for victims of paralysis) that have been presented before and/or published by leading organizations.
  This device was designed by MRISAR’s R&D team and fabricated at MRISAR, a family owned business in North Dakota. Everything from MRISAR is designed and prototyped by two generations of 4 family members, the youngest two Autumn and Aurora Siegel (who began their apprenticeship in robotics, science and art as preschoolers), along with their parents John Adrian Siegel and Victoria Lee Croasdell-Siegel. Each member is a Scientist, Inventor, Engineer, Artist and Machinist. This allows them to encompass technological and artistic elements into anything they create, as well as to custom design and machine any needed components that do not previously exist. The team goals are humanitarian and educational uses for science, art and technology. The devices created by them are unique in the fact that they are handcrafted, not mass produced. This allows the team to create across a wide range of technologies, applications and elements of science and art. The public use exhibits they create for museums and science centers around the world relate to STEM and STEAM. This two generation team has even invented robotic systems for NASA.
  Through creating handcrafted elements of engineering based on sensory elements and abstract reasoning such devices explore engineered creative aspects that humanity can use for real world applications in science and industry. They also serve as valuable elements of education. Key elements during the invention phase are observations of design standards such as derating electrical, electronic and mechanical elements. More images of the creation process of this and other MRISAR robotic devices can be seen at mrisar.org.

The work of MRISAR’s R&D team has drawn world interest for the public-use educational robotic, medical and interactive technology art exhibit prototypes that they create and also for their humanitarian R&D that aims to improve the quality of life. Their work has been presented before and/or published and awarded by: the United Nations, NASA-Emhart, Stanford, Cambridge, ICORR Robotics conferences, ROMAN Robotics conferences, IEEE, Discover Awards, International Federation of Robotics, etc. The “International Federation of Robotics” annual publication on Service Robotics regularly lists MRISAR Institute of Science, Art & Robotics in at least ten categories of robotics. The publication covers major contributors in the field of robotics and within that coverage focuses on the diversity of robotics, worldwide uses for robotics, economic factors and projections. Most are industrial providers, but the publication also includes NASA and other renowned research elements that reach well beyond industrial applications. In the 2011 publication MRISAR was featured in an entire chapter. The publication picks one per year for special focus in a chapter and covers a multitude of ventures in the rest of the document.