A major new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland will explore 500 years of humanity’s quest to re-imagine ourselves as machines. Developed by the Science Museum, Robots features a unique collection of over 100 robots, from the earliest automata to those from science fiction and modern-day research labs.
Looking at five different time periods, the exhibition considers the role of humanoid robots in religious belief, the Industrial Revolution, popular culture and society’s dreams of the future. Recent developments from robotics research are also on display, examining why roboticists are building robots that resemble people and interact in human-like ways.
Visitors can see some of the latest humanoid robots in action, and find out more about what a shared future with robots might be like. The challenges of re-creating human abilities – such as walking – in mechanical form will be examined, with visitors able to study the intricate mechanisms of the Bipedal Walker; one of the first robots in the world to walk somewhat like a human.
There will be the opportunity to interact with some of the robots on display. Inkha, once a receptionist at King’s College London, will be answering questions and offering fashion advice, Zeno R25 replicates visitors’ facial expressions, and ROSA will move its camera ‘eye’ and head to watch visitors as they move.
RoboThespian will perform vocal exercises and give a theatrical performance, Baxter will learn how to pick objects up and Nao – the most widely used humanoid robot in the world – will tell a story about how robots make decisions.
Robots have been at the heart of popular culture since the word ‘robot’ was first used in 1920. Visitors to the exhibition will come face to face with Eric, a modern re-creation of the UK’s first robot; as well as Cygan, a 1950s Italian-made robot which could go forwards and backwards, move its arms and crush drinks cans with its hands; and a T800 Terminator used in the film Terminator Salvation.
Robots begins by exploring our understanding of our place in the universe through the heavens and the human body. On display will be an astrolabe, made in France in about 1300 and the oldest astronomical instrument originating in western Europe. These clockwork machines provoked ideas about the human body as a machine, leading to the creation of the earliest robots.
Edinburgh is a major centre of robotics research and a new section will be added just for the exhibition’s Edinburgh run, exploring the ground-breaking robotics work going on in the city. A display on the Robotarium at the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics will examine the science behind the creation of Valkyrie, a humanoid robot built by NASA and being programmed by the Robotarium in the hope of one day sending it on a mission to Mars.
Robots is a touring exhibition developed by the Science Museum, London. Its Edinburgh run (18 Jan – 5 May 2019) is the last chance to see it in the UK before it tours internationally.
Dr Tacye Phillipson, Senior Curator of Modern Science at National Museums Scotland, said:
This fascinating exhibition explores the long history of our attempts to make robots which resemble and move like humans; from clockwork automata designed to amaze and entertain to cutting-edge modern robots which can mimic our speech and movement. Edinburgh is a major centre for robotics research and we are delighted to have created a special section for the exhibition’s Edinburgh run which looks at some of this work.