The Robot Zoo
Exhibits
Tongue Gun
A boy aims the head of a robot chameleon as he prepares to trigger the "Tongue Gun." Sharpshooters can fire the robot's rod-like tongue at several targets, demonstrating how a real chameleon shoots out its long, sticky-tipped tongue to reel in a meal.
Keep an Eye on You
"Keep an Eye on You" shows young museum-goers like these three boys how a real chameleon's eyes work independently. Visitors can maneuver duel cameras on a robot chameleon's head and view the separate images on two color monitors.
Robot Platypus
A 6-foot robot platypus showcases its unusual features, including a sensory snout simulating a duckbill the real mammal uses to locate prey in murky waters.
Robot House Fly
Animation in the wings of a 5-foot robot fly shows off the robot insect's 6-foot wingspan.
Robot Body Shop
Hinges, pumps and springs in "Robot Body Shop" show three brothers the mechanics of similar parts in the exhibit's robot animals.
Interactives
Robot Body Shop
As an introduction to the exhibit, drum-mounted machine parts allow visitors to manipulate some of the mechanical devices they will see used to construct the robots, such as hinges, pumps, springs and shock absorbers.
Keep an Eye on You
The robot model of a chameleon's head shows how the real reptile views the world: through eyes that work independently. As visitors move each of the robot's eyes with a joystick, they can see on two color monitors the separate images the robot's eyes"see."
Tongue Gun
Triggering the Tongue Gun demonstrates how a real chameleon shoots out its long, sticky-tipped tongue to reel in a meal. Sharpshooters use a joystick to aim the head of a robot chameleon, then press a button to fire its long tongue at one of several insect targets.
Hide and Seek
Children can blend in like a chameleon. Wearing a cloak that matches a wall in the background, kids can watch themselves appear and disappear on a video monitor as they move back and forth in front of the wall.
Mister Platypus
Children of all ages can build a platypus or their own whimsical creature by adding different animal parts, such as an alligator's tail or an elephant's trunk, to the model of a platypus' body.
Hear's Seeing You!
This activity demonstrates echolocation--a bat's sonar system for hunting prey at night. When visitors aim a robot bat's head at insect targets, a digital display reveals the distance to each bug.
Hang Time
With a timer children try to see how long they can hang like a bat by their hands from an overhead bar.
Jet Propelled
All ages can pump air into squid models and propel them across the finish line in a race to the finish (2 to 4 players).
Stuck on You
To understand what a giant squid does with its suckers, kids can throw rubber sucker balls at a board.
Eye to Eye
Visitors can stand behind a 5-foot-tall cutout of a house fly and get a fly's-eye view through two 19-inch compound eyes.
Swat the Fly
This activity tests participants' reaction time (about one-twelfth as fast as a house fly's). Children use their hands to "swat" the backlit image of each fly as it randomly flashes.
Sticky Feet
Kids wearing special hand pads can try to stick like flies to a sloping surface.
Tortoise Track
Even the youngest children can try on a tortoise shell and see how it feels to"race" like a turtle around a track. Wearing numbered shells, other kids can join in a race to the finish line.
Animal Track
Allows visitors to pit their running abilities against that of a chicken, cheetah and a top athlete.
Suction Power
This exhibit is an excellent demonstration on atmospheric pressure. By manipulating animals such as octopi and squids movement, the visitors are able to lift heavy weights.
Animal Noise
This is an exhibit on recognition. Visitors try to match sounds with the animals that make these sounds e.g. a bee buzzing.
