V.C, CA California Science Center: When Science Meets Imagination

California Science Center, Los Angeles, CA, February - April 2007

http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/Exhibits/Weingart/starwars/starwars.php

The first exhibition of its kind, Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination combines costumes and props from all six Star Wars films with real-world technologies; video interviews with filmmakers, scientists and engineers; hands-on components, including two large Engineering Design Labs, where visitors build and test speeders and robots.

Don't miss our Millennium Falcon simulation.

STAR WARSTM ARTIFACTS
X-wing starfighterLuke?s original Landspeeder from Episode IV is on public exhibit for the first time, alongside scale models of X and Y-wing starfighters, TIE fighters. Visitors will also see an original Yoda Puppet from the first trilogy, Darth Vader?s actual helmet from Episode III.

PERSONAL HOVERCRAFT
Visitors climb into an air-cushion vehicle and experience how a floating vehicle handles.

ROBOT OBJECT THEATER DEBATE:
C-3PO waves Entering a large-scale model of the rusted-steel interior of a Jawa Sandcrawler, visitors meet C-3PO and (via video projection) real-world robotics engineer Cynthia Breazeal, Director of the Robotic Life Group, MIT Media Lab. The robot and the roboticist debate the merits of R2-D2 and how researchers try to duplicate traits such as mobility, perception, and cognition, while introducing some Star Wars robots. A tour of real world robotics follows.

BUILDING COMMUNITIES AUGMENTED REALITY INTERACTIVE
Girl playing with HIT Lab interactive: 8 cards with symbols are interpreted by computer and displayed on a screen, leaving the experience of building a space port.Together, visitors build a spaceport, moisture farm community, and walled Jawa town. Placing cards on a table?the physical landscape?a computer superimposes a building on a site in virtual reality and real time. A VR explorer enables visitors using a head-mounted display to "fly" through the collaboratively built environment.


REAL WORLD STARSHIPS
Moller Skycar Visitors will see actual vehicles and prototypes that researchers and engineers in our own world have developed.

REAL WORLD ROBOTS
Robosapien real world robotToday's task-oriented robots and humanoid robots like QRIO are on display in the exhibit. Visitors will get to see a floor-vacuuming Roomba that can sense its surroundings and plug itself in to recharge, as well as early ancestors such as the Johns Hopkins Beast developed inthe 1960s.

MAJOR CHALLENGE AREAS: ENGINEERING DESIGN LABS

MAGLEV ENGINEERING DESIGN LAB:
Visitors experiment with magnetic levitation, imagining, creating, and testing a floating Maglev Cars by propelling them along a magnetic track.

ROBOT ENGINEERING DESIGN LAB:
Museum-goers become robot designers. They select wheels or treads, choose different kinds of sensors, and program the robot to navigate through the droid factory to its goal?Padme's ship.



We're aiming to make this the best exhibit yet. However, it's not going to get done without all of our help !


Here is the list of events for the California Science Center "Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination". Costumed characters are encouraged to participate but are caps on some events.

Please contact Obi-Shawn (obishawn@gmail.com) to RSVP for any of the events. Be sure to include the event date/title, your name, the costume you are wearing (or club t-shirt), and contact information (cell phone/e-mail).

Wed, Feb 7 - Member/Media Preview 6pm to 9pm

Sat, Feb 10 - Discovery Ball 6:30pm to 11:30pm

Fri, Feb 23 - Kids Overnight Camp; characters needed from 7pm to 9pm

Sat, Feb 24 - Fan Day #1 (all day)

Fri, Mar 23 - Kids Overnight Camp; characters needed from 7pm to 9pm

Sat, Mar 24 - Fan Day #2 (all day)

Also remember that there always is a need for "wranglers", so don't hesitate to volunteer even if your outfit isn't ready.

 

Thank you for posting this, Miana.

I was planning on asking if it would be OK to repost it here.

 

Well, I guess I can volunteer for this now since I'm back. Anyone want to do it with me? Not in costume, just helping out.

 

I plan on going, not sure if in-costume or not, yet.

I have to work out the babysitting juggling with Mr. GB first.

We could carpool, along with anyone else from up here who'd want to. I think Jonathan is interested in at least checking it out, too.

 

damn right i want to. let me know what days you pick.

 

I'd love to go, depending on the day. I actually got busy in February.

 

OK, so which dates are best/most interesting to everyone?

 

I'd sort of like to volunteer and help one one day, did you guys want to do that or just go check it out? If you just want to go check it out maybe I'll volunteer solo and go up again with you guys. I'm pretty open nowadays, I'd rather not go on Sundays or Wednesdays though since I think I'll have hockey those nights.

 

I plan on volunteering...I'd like to go to preview night, but that's a Wed. and I work until 5 those days, now.

How about one of the fan days?

 

Either of the fan days are good for me.

 

what ever you guys pick

 

March 24 would be better for me, I need at least three weeks notice to request a vacation day.

 

Let me know when you guys decide to come down. I'll be working the exhibit a lot, so I want to make sure to say Hi.

 

I can do the 24th of this month, looks like...

I *really* wanted to do the Discovery Ball, but there's no way for us to work that out with our two little ones and having so far to drive. /pout

:~)

Now to decide...costume, or no costume?

 

i can do that, i'll tell them i need that day off, so the 24th it is i guess

 

Yeah, works for me. I really wish we had some sort of VCFF shirts.

 

I'm pretty sure I can do the 24th. I get my new concert schedule Monday, so I'll double check.

 

Even if you guys don't want to come to volunteer, I'd DEFINITELY say come to have fun. It's AWESOME.

 

Just got back from our February meeting.

Everyone who wants to volunteer, post here, and I'll email ObiShawn to find out what/if/how we can do what. :~)

 

i'm down, i'll find out tomarrow if bri can go.

 

Yeah, I'm in.

 

count me in too

 

I might actually be able to make the 24th after all. Turns out my dog show is on the 25th, AND we may not go anyway, because there's not enough of an entry to make it a worth while drive all the way to Del Mar.

And MAN I hate all this pink and hearts, and lovey-dovey stuff! It's making me want to puke!

(sorry had to say it)

 

Yeah, screw Valentine's day. Dog show Zar? It's not the one in Camarillo is it? They have a dog show by my house every month I think.

So Febuary 24th for sure then?

 

No, and I think that's a practice match you're talking about. This one is all the way in San Diego, so if there aren't enough Afghans entered, we won't bother making the drive.