Robotics exhibit and experiment, St. Louis Science Center

It can take a long time for a science center to build relationships with scientists and engineers, but one member of the museum community is convinced that it’s worth the effort.  “You may not see tangible results for a long time,” says Christine Roman, PhD, associate director of emerging technologies for the Saint Louis Science Center (SLSC). “But eventually it can bear fruit in all kinds of ways.”

Roman’s long-term partnership with the Computer Science and Engineering department at Washington University has resulted in a win-win collaboration that could be a model for other science centers. In 2001, she and Professor Bill Smart designed a collaborative project in which SLSC visitors could drive a robot in a remote location. The underlying goal was to bring real scientific research to SLSC, involve visitors in the studies, and enhance the experience with related programming.

The early concept proceeded slowly from small studies to a full-scale deployment to refinement. In 2005, the collaborators set up a 5,000-square-foot maze with a research-grade iRobot, and put a control center in a gallery nearby.  The experiment was run by roboticists from Washington University and Idaho National Laboratories; the SLSC assembled participants and provided explanatory signage, educational media, and staff.  The roboticists “wanted to test human use of control screens with sensor feedback from the robot,” says Roman. “We invited robotics teams, mentors, and visitors to work together and drive the robot.  The researchers collected data on how the groups used the control screens.  About 400 people participated in one week. The researchers could not have acquired such a diverse group of subjects in any other way.”

Test Screen

The exhibit was a hit with visitors – and so far, the experiment’s results have yielded numerous conference presentations, published papers, and one doctoral dissertation for the researchers. “Early career scientists are highly focused on publishing, so they are eager to participate when a collaboration supports that need,” Roman says.

Roman and her collaborators have redesigned the experiment as a testable model that other science centers and research partners will employ. They’re currently seeking funding for additional studies. “Simply using visitors as test subjects is counter to every science center’s mission. We need to make sure we’re providing a valuable educational experience,” she says.   “If science center staff and scientists ensure that on-site research focuses on visitor learning, I think the results could be very rich for everyone.”