Jersey City, NJ ― Jersey City, New Jersey – Imagine meeting a robot that can play “Simon Says,” responds to commands, and even takes a selfie with you.
Starting April 19, at Liberty Science Center one can do those things and more with what is believed to be the fastest produced full upper-torso 3D-printed robot in the world.
This robot, which can move, swivel, raise its arms, pick-up items and wiggle its fingers, was created by students at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
"Liberty Science Center is always interested in partnering with organizations to showcase cutting-edge technology for our visitors," said LSC President and CEO Paul Hoffman. "Many of our guests are in middle and high school—not much younger than the Stevens students. It is particularly exciting for us, and inspiring for our young guests, to have the Stevens team sharing their amazing work with our community."
Starting April 19, at Liberty Science Center one can do those things and more with what is believed to be the fastest produced full upper-torso 3D-printed robot in the world.
This robot, which can move, swivel, raise its arms, pick-up items and wiggle its fingers, was created by students at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
"Liberty Science Center is always interested in partnering with organizations to showcase cutting-edge technology for our visitors," said LSC President and CEO Paul Hoffman. "Many of our guests are in middle and high school—not much younger than the Stevens students. It is particularly exciting for us, and inspiring for our young guests, to have the Stevens team sharing their amazing work with our community."
Based on work from pioneering French designer Gael Langevin and his InMoov open source project, the robot was transformed by computer-aided design (CAD) file. Approximately 100 components including joints, 'bones' and other mechanical parts of the robot were printed in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic.
After the pieces were printed, student Peter Bruinooge ‘16, a mechanical engineering major, assembled them as if he were putting together LEGOs.
"I really enjoy the process of creating things from thin air," said Bruinooge. "I was always that kid with LEGOs, the one who liked to take apart and build things with his hands. This is an extension of that. With 3D printing, you can design something on a computer and, just a few hours later, begin producing a prototype of the object."
Stevens PROOF Lab director Professor Kishore Pochiraju worked to coordinate the exhibit with Liberty Science Center to inspire young people who visit the center.
"LSC receives hundreds of thousands of visitors each year: parents, high school and junior high-school students, educators, the local scientific community, many others," said Pochiraju. "We're so pleased to be able to bring Stevens' student ingenuity and a fun application of our own technology to their diverse audiences. We hope it inspires some of these young people visiting the Science Center to become interested in science and engineering education and careers themselves."
The robot will be at Liberty Science Center starting April 19 through the month of May. For more information, please visit www.lsc.org or call 201.253.1310.
About Liberty Science Center
Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a 300,000-square-foot learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to bringing the excitement of science to people of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, the nation’s largest IMAX Dome Theater, live simulcast surgeries, tornado and hurricane-force wind simulators, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. More than half a million students, teachers, and parents visit the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participate in the Center’s offsite and online programs. LSC is the most visited museum in New Jersey and the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area.
About Stevens
Stevens Institute of Technology, The Innovation University®, is a premier, private research university situated in Hoboken, N.J. overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Founded in 1870, technological innovation has been the hallmark and legacy of Stevens’ education and research programs for more than 145 years. Within the university’s three schools and one college, more than 6,800 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate with more than 380 faculty members in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment to advance the frontiers of science and leverage technology to confront global challenges. Stevens is home to three national research centers of excellence, as well as joint research programs focused on critical industries such as healthcare, energy, finance, defense, maritime security, STEM education and coastal sustainability. Stevens is in the midst of a 10-year strategic plan, The Future. Ours to Create., designed to further extend the Stevens legacy to create a forward-looking and far-reaching institution with global impact.
After the pieces were printed, student Peter Bruinooge ‘16, a mechanical engineering major, assembled them as if he were putting together LEGOs.
"I really enjoy the process of creating things from thin air," said Bruinooge. "I was always that kid with LEGOs, the one who liked to take apart and build things with his hands. This is an extension of that. With 3D printing, you can design something on a computer and, just a few hours later, begin producing a prototype of the object."
Stevens PROOF Lab director Professor Kishore Pochiraju worked to coordinate the exhibit with Liberty Science Center to inspire young people who visit the center.
"LSC receives hundreds of thousands of visitors each year: parents, high school and junior high-school students, educators, the local scientific community, many others," said Pochiraju. "We're so pleased to be able to bring Stevens' student ingenuity and a fun application of our own technology to their diverse audiences. We hope it inspires some of these young people visiting the Science Center to become interested in science and engineering education and careers themselves."
The robot will be at Liberty Science Center starting April 19 through the month of May. For more information, please visit www.lsc.org or call 201.253.1310.
About Liberty Science Center
Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a 300,000-square-foot learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to bringing the excitement of science to people of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, the nation’s largest IMAX Dome Theater, live simulcast surgeries, tornado and hurricane-force wind simulators, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. More than half a million students, teachers, and parents visit the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participate in the Center’s offsite and online programs. LSC is the most visited museum in New Jersey and the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area.
About Stevens
Stevens Institute of Technology, The Innovation University®, is a premier, private research university situated in Hoboken, N.J. overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Founded in 1870, technological innovation has been the hallmark and legacy of Stevens’ education and research programs for more than 145 years. Within the university’s three schools and one college, more than 6,800 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate with more than 380 faculty members in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment to advance the frontiers of science and leverage technology to confront global challenges. Stevens is home to three national research centers of excellence, as well as joint research programs focused on critical industries such as healthcare, energy, finance, defense, maritime security, STEM education and coastal sustainability. Stevens is in the midst of a 10-year strategic plan, The Future. Ours to Create., designed to further extend the Stevens legacy to create a forward-looking and far-reaching institution with global impact.
