The New York Hall of Science Presents ‘Bionic Me’ Exhibit on How Tech Enhances Human Life

Exhibit at New York Hall of Science (Photo: Imagine Exhibitions)

Feb. 12, 2019 Staff Report

The displays are hands-on, while the experiences are full-body.

Bionic Me, an interactive show that explores how medical technology can enhance human capabilities, will be at the New York Hall of Science from Monday, Feb. 11, until Sunday, May 5.

Produced by Imagine Exhibitions, an Atlanta-based company that organizes dozens of expos in museums, resorts, zoos, and other venues around the world, Bionic Me features exoskeletons, wind tunnels, surgery rooms, and infrared cameras. Consider it a state-of-the-art sequel to the 1970s Sci-Fi action series “The Six Million Dollar Man.”

Visitors will be able to move balls with their minds, wave robot arms, race a virtual Paralympian, use night vision to see in the dark, and explore how technology can provide camouflage and make humans invisible. They will also learn from graphic panels, tests, and activities that seem like arts and crafts.

Here’s a program list with brief descriptions.

• Augmented Surgeon: Put augmented body parts into the correct areas of a body.
• Bionic Eye: View the world through a bionic eye simulation.
• Body Technology: Move a screen over areas of a human body to interact with different body systems. Investigate how to augment various body parts.
• Braille: Read Braille messages using touch.
• Camouflage: Explore how technology can provide active camouflage and make humans invisible.
• Ethics Quiz: Consider ethical questions of body augmentation via an eye gaze controlled quiz.
• Exoskeleton: Climb into an exoskeleton and control an on-screen avatar to investigate enhanced strength.
• Hearing Test: Test hearing and discover how technology can enhance it.
• Infrared Camera: View the world through an infra-red camera and large screen.
• Jet Pack: Put on a helmet and fly away using a jet pack.
• Lenses: Experiment with different lenses to see how they effect vision.
• Mind Control: Compete against others using a brain-computer interface to control a ball using only mind power.
• Motion Control: Wave a robot arm and move a ball with a gesture interface.
• Prosthetics: Control a prosthetic arm with a sensor.
• Race Against A Paralympian: See how fast a person with prosthetics can run. Learn about how prosthetics are advancing so fast that they may soon surpass the ability of natural limbs.
• Train Your Brain: Play a brain-training game.
• Tunnel of Darkness: Explore a tunnel without using sight.
• UV Camera: View skin using a UV camera. Experiment with sunscreen and calibrate sun damage.
• Voice Control: Interact with appliances via voice commands in a model house.
• What To Augment: Share ideas on body augmentation.
• Wind Tunnel: Test different accessories in a wind tunnel to see how they feel and perform.
• 3D Printing: Use 3D printing to communicate images via touch.

Bionic Me was created by Scitech, an educational science organization in Perth, Australia.

Entrance is free with admission, which is $16 for adults and $13 for children (ages 2 to 17), college students with proper identification, and seniors (62 and older). Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is free admission on Friday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The New York Hall of Science is located at 47-01 111th St. in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. It’s a short walk from the 7 train’s 111th Street/Roosevelt Avenue station, and there is a large parking lot on site.