Sunday morning 09:00 and we're all off to the Science Museum to see robots, as their Robotville exhibition was only on for a few days. Sandwiches were made, snacks packed, and everyone was ready for the planned journey start time. Epic! The route along the M4 and A4 was fairly simple, and we parked (for free!!) near the Albert Hall, (named as Tom joked, after Albert. Albert Hall).
This installation, The Listening Post, was formed of over 200 led displays showing snippets of chat-speak, sometimes separate and sometimes in concert, and were interesting both in isolation and together. When it all got going it felt like being in the Matrix :)
Up to the Robotville exhibition,
and let's just check the
three laws first.
Robot hands!
Robot face
(which gradually
adopts yours)
Awesome robot which sees, grasps
then releases a ball, to the
delight of the children
Yes. A dancing robot.
Was really good at balancing
and getting up again.
I should be so good!
Shaking-hands robot, with
human-inspired structure
and 'muscles' and 'tendons'
Up to the 'Launch Pad' we try
several science-based activities.
We're so hot!
No pictures from History of Veterinary Medicine,
which frankly seemed to resemble torture, but
History of Medicine was very interesting,
though this patient doesn't seem to
appreciate the electrical treatment.
At least she's not wearing a
lampshade on her head.
After lunch, Tom and I return for a second session
Here the inventor of Red Bull
displays his wings :)
Love this engine. Reminds me of a robotic sheep
Doesn't it? Mmmm
Cross-section of a 747
From Shipping to Maths, we noticed
this fabulous lighthouse museum.
Looks like a long way up to work!
Wonderful font. So Tomorrow's World
Mobius' strip.
(top middle)
Klein bottle
(bottom right)
Wonderful colourful paper constructions
Altogether now (Gilbert & Sullivan fans...)
It is the very model from a
modern major-general!
Tom demonstrates the size of the Analytical Engine
and compares the computing power with his mobile
phone which, to be honest, isn't much more modern.
ERNIE 1
And it picked the fastest
premium bonds in the west
I worked (occasionally) on a PDP11
in the late 1980s, but never a PDP8
This strange Japanese plate looked like it
portrayed an ancient scene, until I noticed
the people at the bottom wearing hard hats,
and the green 'foliage' was actually netting,
presumably for environmental purposes.
Monster truck!
Imagine trekking over the snowy wastes
near Basingstoke at Christmas
Strange but effective
Boat - 'Miss England'
Engine is fabulous.
Looks like the 'Bat Boat' from the back
Jet car? Almost.
JET 1 is a gas-turbine powered monster
Shiny!
Model Vulcan.
Apollo 10 command module
Cray 1 - this use to be the
mother of all supercomputers
Meanwhile in 1984 I started work
entering information into Visicalc
(spreadsheet) on an Apple 2E computer
(very similar to this one), and I
actually had the Casio calculator
shown bottom left for University.
The battery lasted years!
Tranes, planes and automobiles
Fabulous trip, cool robotics, so much to see.
Might have to come back again soon!
