London To Be Dominated By Robots

Five hundred years ago, the idea of an automation being among us was already tackled and further heightens imaginations of filmmakers, writers, and scientists. Now, more than 100 robots will come to the Science Museum exhibition slated on February 8, hoping to "explore this very human obsession to recreate ourselves, revealing the remarkable 500-year story of humanoid robots."

Director of the Science Museum Group Ian Blatchford said in a press release, "This exhibition explores the uniquely human obsession of recreating ourselves, not through paint or marble but in metal." He added, "Seeing robots through the eyes of those who built or gazed in awe at them reveals much about humanity's hopes, fears, and dreams."

Among the display are a talking iron manikin created in the 1500s, modern-day research robots, a 1950s "glamorous" robot, and one of the first walking bipedal robots. There are 12 robots that visitors can interact to as well.

The Science Museum also shared that the word "robot" has been used in the 1920s but the concept of such machine started centuries ago. The exhibition wishes to impart that building of more advanced robots today has changed people's perception of the human body, and the automation is becoming more and more human-like.

The museum's robot exhibit lets visitors see the developments from today's robotics and how creators made them look and act like a human being. The audience will be posed a question on whether what it would be like to live with robots in the near future.

"The latest in our series of ambitious, blockbuster exhibitions, Robots explores the wondrously rich culture, history, and technology of humanoid robotics. Last year we moved gigantic spacecraft from Moscow to the Museum, but this year we will bring a robot back to life," Blatchford said.

Meanwhile, the Science Museum has started a Kickstarter crowd fundraising platform to restore UK's first robot, Eric, built in 1928 by Captain Richards & A.H. Reffell. For more details about the exhibition visit the sciencemuseum.org.uk/robots.