AT A GLANCE
Midwest Premiere June 3rd,2006 through September 4, 2006 at COSI Columbus

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination explores the fantasy technologies in the Star Wars films, the science behind them, and current research that may lead to real-life versions of these technologies. Museum-goers learn how technologies work in the Star Wars universe through film clips and over 80 props, models and costumes. Visitors will discover how ideas become technologies in real life through hands-on exhibits, immersive experiences, and cutting edge innovations. The exhibit culminates in two multi-station Engineering Design Labs where visitors design, build and test solutions to challenges.

MAJOR THEMES
The exhibition is organized around two technology themes, solving basic human needs: getting around (transportation) and getting along with ever smarter machines (robotics): “Getting Around” After examining Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder and other floating vehicles from Star Wars, visitors find out how things move without touching the ground in the real world, from models of flying cars to commercial spaceplanes.

“Robots and People” Visitors meet C-3PO and R2-D2 and explore how people relate to the robots in Star Wars. The exhibition also features the creation of real world robots that navigate, sense and understand the world around them, while communicating in increasingly sophisticated ways.

QUESTIONS EXHIBIT ADDRESSES
What is technology?
What part do imagination and creativity play in developing technologies?
How do science and technology interact and how are they separate?
How close are we to having technologies like those in the Star Wars universe?
How can we use our scientific and engineering knowledge and skills from the exhibit to create a solution, test it, refine it and make changes based on the testing?
How can we assess the impact of technology on society?

MAJOR CHALLENGE AREAS
Maglev Engineering Design Lab: Visitors experiment with magnetic levitation, imagining, creating, and testing their own 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.

SIGNIFICANT ELEMENTS
Personal Hovercraft and Personal Magnetic Levitation Train: Visitors climb into an air-cushion vehicle and experience how a floating vehicle handles. They can also take a spin aboard a magnetically levitated platform and feel what the mass transit of the future might be like.

Robot Object Theater Debate: 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. They 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: 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.

JUMP TO LIGHTSPEED EXPERIENCE
Millennium Falcon Simulation: In a full-size replica of the cockpit of Episode IV’s Millennium Falcon, visitors experience the jump to lightspeed, as a multimedia presentation explores what we know about our own galaxy in a breathtaking ride to the edge of the Universe.

EXHIBIT FIRSTS
• The first exhibition to combine costumes and props from all six 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.

• The first tour to combine in one handheld device cutting-edge multimedia, ASL interpretation, and in-depth learning opportunities during and after a visit. Developed by Antenna Audio for the Star Wars exhibit, this tour is one of the most innovative and accessible. It enables visitors to extend their exhibit experience by “bookmarking” content and emailing it to themselves for access later. The tour also features audio, video, ASL interpretation and closed-captioning.

HIGHLIGHTS
Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination features over 100 Star Wars artifacts and real world technologies; 17 videos, and 21 interactive exhibits.

Among the Film Artifacts:

Luke's Landspeeder Model and Vehicle

Rebel Blockade Runner Tantive IV Model, never-before-exhibited

Tarfull Wookiee Costume

Salporin Wookiee Costume

Miniature Wookiee Tree Model

Anakin Jedi Costume

Mace Windu Costume

Obi-Wan Kenobi Costume

Yoda (puppet)

Sebulba Podracer Model

C-3PO Costume

R2-D2 Droid

Princess Leia – white dress Costume

Naked C-3PO Puppet

Droideka

Tuksen Raider Costume

Tusken Woman Costume

Sandcrawler Model

Wampa Costume

Snowtrooper Costume

AT-TE Model

Imperial Walker AT-AT Model

Stormtrooper Costume

Lightsaber Prop, Palpatine

Lightsaber Prop, Obi-Wan

Darth Vader Costume

Grievous Full Body Maquette

Anakin’s Prosthetic Hand Prop

Darth Vader Mask Reveal

Luke’s Prosthetic Hand Prop

Queen Amidala’s Nubian Starship Model

Among the Real World Technologies:

QRIO Robot (Sony)

Segway RMP (Robot Mobility Platform)/CMU Soccer Bot Robot

Retinal Implant System (Doheny Eye Institute)

Cochlear Implant (Cochlear Inc)

Boston Elbow (Liberating Technology Inc)

BrainGate System (Cyberkinetics)

Bion Implant (University of Southern California)

C-Leg Microprocessor Knee (Otto Bock)

Speeder Models: Boeing CRW (Boeing); SpaceShip One (Vulcan); Moller Skycar (Moller)

Personal Satellite Assistant (NASA Ames)

Spacecraft: Matter/Antimatter Powered Spacecraft; Nuclear Pulse Engine; Bussard Ramjet Powered

Spacecraft; Laser-Augmented Ramjet

DIMENSIONS
10,000 square feet (total exhibition space)

DEVELOPMENT & CREATION
Developed, designed and built from 2002 to 2005

SUPPORT
Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination was made possible with the following support: Major funding provided by the National Science Foundation Under Grant No. 0307875; presented by Bose Corporation; sponsored locally by Mercury Computer Systems; Robots and People Section sponsored by Raytheon Company. Additional funding provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in collaboration with FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology); U.S. Small Business Administration*; Henry S. Hall Jr. Exhibits Fund. School visits supported, in part, by a grant from the Yawkey Foundation II. Media Partner: WCVB-TV.

EXHIBIT TEAM
It took over 100 people to create Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination—60 from the Museum of Science in Boston and its major contractors with the assistance of 25 people from Lucasfilm, Ltd., and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), and 20 other experts.

THE TOUR
Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, Portland, OR, October - December 2006; California Science Center, Los Angeles, CA, February - April 2007; Fort Worth Museum of Science & History Fort Worth, TX, June - August 2007; Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Sept-Dec. 2007; The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA, February - April 2008; Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, June - October 2008.

THE BOOK
Scientists inspired by Star Wars films are turning fiction into reality—from commercial space flight and trains that levitate by magnetism to robot servants and microscopic nanorobots. The National Geographic companion book, Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination, edited by Museum of Science Exhibit Planner Ed Rodley and featuring an introduction by Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), focuses on such advances and the scientists and creators behind them.

HOURS & ADMISSIONS
By timed ticket only $17.50 adults, $15.50 seniors (65+), and $12.50 children (2-12). Advance ticket reservations are recommended. For more information on the exhibition and complementary programming or to reserve tickets, visit www.cosi.org or call 614-228-COSI. COSI Members can purchase tickets for the exhibition at a special rate of $3 for adults, seniors and children.

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination is presented nationally by BOSE Corporation and presented locally by Huntington Bank. The exhibit is also supported by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, American Dairy Association, American Electric Power, WBNS 10TV, The Columbus Dispatch, and Pepsi.

© 2006 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization. Exhibit materials based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0307875.

Through June 2nd, COSI Columbus is open Wednesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm and Sundays Noon – 6pm. Admission through June 2nd is: $12.50 for adults, $7.50 for youth (2 – 12 years old), $10.50 for senior citizens and free to children under 24 months and COSI Members. From June 5th-Sept. 4th, COSI is open Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm and Sundays Noon-6pm. COSI will also stay open until 9:00pm every Friday night in July & August. Admission from June 5th-Sept. 4th is: $17.50 for adults, $12.50 for youth (2-12 years old), $15.50 for senior citizens, $3 for COSI Members and free to children under 24 months. Extreme Screen Tickets are $5 when purchased with a general admission pass and $7 when purchased alone. For more information visit www.cosi.org or call 614-228-COSI.