The Star Wars “Where Science Meets Imagination” exhibit, last showing in Chicago (see past story), opens tomorrow and runs through August 24, 2008 at the Science Museum of Minnesota. This is the eight and final exhibit for the U.S.; it will next be moved to Australia. In all, 80 original props, costumes, and other pieces will be on display for the public. Highlights include the original 1:1 landspeeder from A New Hope, Darth Vader’s helmet, a Yoda puppet, a Chewbacca costume, Han Solo and Princess Leia costumes, scale X-Wing, Y-Wing, and Tie Fighters and one of the Millennium Falcons.
Ticket prices range between $8.00 – $24.00, based on age, membership to the museum, and access to the Omnitheater. For details on pricing, museum hours, etc., visit the smm.org website:
Here is an “Exhibition Overview” from the smm.org site (LINK):
Star Wars Artifacts
Luke’s original landspeeder from Episode IV A New Hope is on public exhibit for the first time, alongside scale models of X- and Y-wing starfighters and TIE fighters. Visitors will also see an original Yoda puppet from the classic trilogy and Darth Vader’s actual helmet from Episode III Revenge of the Sith.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. The robot and the roboticist debate the merits of R2-D2 and how researchers try to duplicate traits such as mobility, perception and cognition.Building Communities and Augmented Reality
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.Real World Starships
Visitors will see actual vehicles and prototypes researchers and engineers in our own world have developed.Real World Robots
Today’s task-oriented robots and humanoid robots like Troody are on display in the exhibit. Visitors will get to see a floor-vacuuming Roomba that can sense its surroundings and plug itself in to recharge, as well as early ancestors such as the Johns Hopkins Beast, developed in the 1960s.
There is a news story and video interview with Anthony Daniels online at KARE11 news with great coverage of this event: “Wookies and droids invade St. Paul; Star Wars is here”
Sounds as though it is not the typical original prop exhibit, but something a little different. Per the official website, there are still 80 original props, models, and costumes.
Jason De Bord