Whether you think robots will become our overlords or a vital asset to our future it’s important to learn about them and the accelerating technology behind them, and at “Robot Revolution” you also get to have some fun with them too.
This new exhibit provides all the excitement, fun, and learning typical from the Museum of Science and Industry. Divided into four sections you can find cooperative robots like da Vinci®, which has helped surgeons through operations on more than two million patients since 2000, smart robots like Baxter, who can play tic-tac-toe with two guests at the same time, skilled robots like the Robotic21 System, who can play 21 and likely beat you, and locomotive robots like the cute ROBOTIS-MINI, where you can make it do dance routines.
As you walk around the exhibit you’ll likely run into the Double, a telepresence robot that looks like a tablet on wheels that helps demonstrate how you can be present in a physical environment while not actually being there as seen in the recent season finale of “Modern Family.”
After seeing all these machines you’ll likely want to try your hand at making your own, so don’t miss out on the Cubelets where each cube provides a different function—battery, sensor, drive, light—and instructions tell you how to create small robots that can move towards and away from your hand, light up as you get close to it, and more.
Those curious about the expanding drone market and what these flying robots can do won’t want to miss the drone show with a demonstration of the Parrot MiniDrone that can be controlled with a mobile device.
From the first mechanical bird driven by compressed air in fifth century to self-driving cars, robots have changed the world, and this exhibit demonstrates how they will continue to impact our lives.
“Robot Revolution” is on view through January 2016 at the Museum of Science and Industry located at 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr. For more information visit msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/robot-revolution.