Drones, R2-D2, and more stop by LSC for Robots Rule Weekend
Drones! Coding! R2-D2! January 18-20 was Robots Rule Weekend at LSC, an entire weekend celebrating the art and science of robotics with bonus fun on every floor.
There were a lot of amazing things happening throughout the three-day weekend. Take a look at some of the highlights:
Exploring the future of flight with Kitty Hawk's "The Flyer"
All weekend we showed off some really cool tech, such as “The Flyer” from the company Kitty Hawk. “The Flyer” is an all-electric VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) single-seat aerial vehicle that employs 10 individual lift fans to fly 3 ft. to 10 ft. over water.
Fun fact: Kitty Hawk CEO Sebastian Thrun was one of our honorees at the inaugural Genius of NJ celebration in December!
Selfies with R2-D2
Fresh off his appearance in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, R2-D2 visited the Science Center for selfies with guests. Thanks for the great work, R2!
Flying micro drones at Drone Academy
It wouldn’t be a robot-filled weekend without some drones! Guests headed to Drone Academy, where they learned how to fly micro drones through an obstacle course.
Guests also learned how much drone technology is changing our world. Did you know drones will someday be capable of delivering everything from pizza to medicine to Amazon packages to your doorstep? Wow!
Programming robotic mice
Big cheers for coding! All weekend, guests worked hard at programming a mouse to complete a maze and get the cheese. We love it!
Learning the art of robotics with LSC Artist-in-Residence Chico MacMurtrie
Did you know LSC has a new artist-in-residence? Chico MacMurtrie is a creative, innovative robotics expert, and through February, guests can see work from his series “Border Crossers” in progress as MacMurtrie and his team construct a piece in Governors Hall.
Throughout the weekend, guests watched as MacMurtrie worked on his series, which consists of lightweight robotic sculptures made of strong fabric tubes controlled by a robotics system that triggers them to inflate.
As these unique robots “grow” before your eyes, they form high arcs and connect into bridge-like structures. To MacMurtrie, this project “envisions technology as a positive tool to establish dialogues beyond borders.”
Thanks to everyone who joined us for Robots Rule Weekend! Be sure to keep up with the LSC blog, as well as follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, for updates on amazing new events at the Science Center.
