DARPA: Redefining Possible MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CHICAGO

On until Monday 5 September, 2016.

IF WE’RE ON OUR WAY to a robot revolution, here is a good look at what’s coming.

Since it was created by Eisenhower at the peak of the Cold War in 1958, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has pushed the boundaries of science and technology for the US military and beyond.

“Redefining Possible” is an in-depth, interactive look at some of the agency’s robotic and artificial intelligence prototypes. And while unlikely to divulge any Department of Defense secrets, the exhibition has a great variety of tech on display.

There is the humanoid robot Atlas, designed to navigate rough terrain and assist after natural disasters, as well as its robot dog sidekick – an agile quadruped called Spot. On display is also a scale model of DARPA’S autonomous submarine-tracking ship, the Sea Hunter, designed to cruise for months without a single crew member.

You can learn about the sophisticated electrode arrays that are used for neurological control of prosthetic limbs, which may one day help patients with brain injury. And there is also a chance to check out the most advanced Fda-approved prosthetic arm – the DEKA Arm System, affectionately called the “Luke Arm”.

Visitors can feast their eyes on magnified images of the intricately detailed microelectronic chips that drive advanced robotics and next-gen artificial intelligence. They can also mix and match their own virtual bots on interactive touchscreens, kitting them out with sensors and limbs for different tasks such as disaster relief, manufacturing or caring for the elderly.

The aim, DARPA Deputy Director Steve Walker says, is to plant seeds in the next generation of innovators: “Learning how DARPA has tackled some of the most daunting scientific and engineering challenges ... can be enormously inspiring to students.”