Push the green button and the race is on! It’s you – vs. a robotic arm! Who can complete a plastic puzzle first? The choice of the puzzle was ours but the arm wasted no time. It jumped into action, first recognizing my husband as the challenger, then started to move the pieces. With a few crowd-pleasing gestures, the robot finished first and took its bow. Well, my husband would have none of that and went on to challenge the robot a few more times stepping up his game and beating the robot. I actually felt sorry for the robot as he bowed to my husband.
My family and I then gathered around a table with light sensitive robots. We began moving the robots around using flashlights and decided to challenge them. “Here, use this block to create a barrier,” I said to my step-daughter. We added several blocks around the table to create a maze for the robots and laughed as they attempted to make it through.
At the Sensory Garden of Robots + Us, children can learn how their actions correspond with action in the robot garden. We talked into a microphone and watched as the robots fluttered about and you can even build and test the robots yourself. At the Leg Lab we had to decide how many legs each robot needed and where they should be attached. We tested our creations on steps, a giant wheel, grass and even an Etch-a-Sketch. Unfortunately, my robot fell over a few times. Eventually I was able to get him walking properly.
As a mom, the combination of something fun and educational is a slam dunk!
Speaking of slam dunks, you can’t visit the Science Museum of Virginia without watching a riveting game of Rat Basketball. It is truly amazing how they train the rats to play basketball using positive reinforcement. I love when the rats ask for a treat after making a basket! Did you know that they only use female rats? It was hard to determine the winner, but the game itself was certainly entertaining.
With so much to see and do at the Science Museum, time flies by! We plan on going back soon to check out “Flight of the Butterflies” in the IMAX theater. Also be sure to check out the Science Museum’s newest permanent exhibition, Boost! Boost! allows visitors to test their creativity, flexibility, strength, memory and dexterity. I was able to get a quick preview and can’t wait to go back and experience it more.
Robots + Us is at the Science Museum of Virginia through Sunday, September 29 and is definitely worth the trip.
Science Museum of Virginia
2500 West Broad Street, Richmond VA 23220
804.864.1400
Stephanie Kenney is the Social Media Coordinator at Richmond Region Tourism. Born and raised in Richmond, Stephanie now lives in Glen Allen with her husband, Criss and dog, Bo. She enjoys spending as much time as possible with her step-daughter, Catie, and playing darts and poker in her spare time.
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