Since May 2021, this device has been in regular use during hikes and excursions, especially in connection with the Zentrum für Wurfkeramik. The apparatus consists of a visual scanner and a special sound recorder.
The surface of a site can be recorded with the scanner (an optomechanical data recording device). Through its photo sensor, the scanner records the respective light conditions and stores them on an external device in the form of a digital image. Later, these images can be viewed with a computer and screen. This creates a soilarium (similar to a plant herbarium).
The sound recorder can be used to make an acoustic sound recording of a particular place. It consists of a pencil with a piezoelectric element at the end. The element converts the pressure fluctuations at the tip of the pencil into electrical voltage fluctuations and therefore acts as a microphone. By wiring it to the analogue-to-digital converter of a USB sound card, the recording can be saved. To record, the pencil is moved over the sound ground and the button of the device is pressed at the same time.
