ROBOT CARNIVAL

The Hardin Center’s exhibition hall is alive with exciting sights and sounds as Robot Carnival brings in inquisitive visitors of all ages. The exhibition includes 12 interactive exhibits exploring the science behind artificial life, motion picture robotics, space exploration, and service robots. Visitors may challenge a robot to a game of tic-tac-toe, see how robots are used to assist humans and perform dangerous tasks, interact with a humanoid robotic torso, and learn the process of making a robot.

The exhibition is designed to be both educational and entertaining for people of all ages. Each component of the exhibition is an individual hands-on station where the viewer may manipulate controls to perform a task or observe the capabilities of robotics. The exhibition elements invite visitors to talk to, play with, compete against, and teleoperate a variety of robotic devices. Through their experiences, visitors gain first hand knowledge of the practical applications of robotics and how they relate to our lives. Visitors may recognize the exhibit’s two 3-Finger Robot Arms, which appeared in several scenes in the 2007 sci-fi family movie “The Last Mimzy.” The exhibit was produced by the award winning MRISAR Institute of Science, Art & Robotics LLC.

The Hardin Center and Imagination Place are planning many exciting programs and projects related to the exhibition. Special field trips are being offered to area groups and schools, as Robot Carnival is an extraordinary educational opportunity. Both Hardin Center staff and community volunteers are spending time with Gadsden City Schools’ after-school program teaching the principles of robotics and actually building working robots with the students.

For more information on programs and fieldtrips, please contact Hilary Blackwood at (256) 543-2787, ext. 33 or ipeducator@culturalarts.org

The exhibition hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm, and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for children, and free for Hardin Center members.

Each Exhibit speaks it’s instructions via voice recording system. Robot bug exhibit also features lifelike sound effects in addition to introduction.

	Life-size Humanoid Robot; torso and robot head with interactive expressions that relate to light, sound and touch. Adjust and use the controls to make the robot’s personality come alive. Select it’s reactions to sensor stimulus. Can it express being happy?, angry?, and sad? How do its responses differ from real emotions?
	Rail Robot Arm; that competes with a human in a simple automated task. Can you operate the arm by joysticks as skillfully and fast as the arm’s computer can?
	Four Robot Pets; in an artificial environment. Play with two phototropic insects, one nocturnal spider robot and a two headed giant inchworm by adjusting exhibit case lights and by attracting the attention of the insects with flashlights and sounds. Help them to find photonic food and help them too get along well together. The phototropic insect likes the light, but the nocturnal one does not like light. Can you make them all happy at the same time or will some become aggravated and territorial?
	Set of two 3 Finger Robot Arms; mounted in an exhibit case with activity area for moving geometric objects (telepresence joystick operation). Arms are replicas of the robot arms that we made for a movie production by Newline Cinema called “The Last Mimzy”.
	Telepresence controls and monitor; for one of the arms mentioned above. Visitors get to use replicas of controls used in the movie production. They can “Act” their part to create structures with the robot arm. Controls are built into a graphic display. Footprint 35”x7.5’.  Telepresence controls and monitor; for the second one of the arms mentioned above.
	Planetary Probe Robot; that the visitor guides across a simulated alien terrain. Can the user utilize the sensors to find items that justify future missions with limited energy resources and time?
	Tic Tac Toe Robot Arm; Robot versus human user in a game of Tic Tac Toe. Visitors challenge a robot arm. Who will win in this game between human and machine and why?
	Five Finger Arm; with independent movement in each finger and thumb, mimicking the users hand movements (via a set of push buttons) and wrist, elbow and shoulder movements (via joysticks) for moving simple objects.
	Humanitarian & Environmental Robotics. Can robotic technology be used to help the disabled, save lives, protect people and clean up toxic materials?
	Kiosk “Making Of The Exhibition”; with a 20” monitor and DVD that shows the making of the exhibition including details regarding the fabrication of many robotic components.
	Tools of the Robot Trade; exhibit featuring tools used to create robots and the explanations of their purpose.

The exhibition covers the educational elements without hiding important details. Each robotic device is well protected behind polycarbonate glass, but has fully visible components. This is a show that truly provides educational elements regarding the “simple machines” within complicated robotics. Easily viewable are motors, linkages, levers, switches, limit switches, springs, ramps, rollers, bearings and many other mechanical elements. Numerous electromechanical and electronic elements are also on view along with graphics naming many key components and how they work.