The Museum of the Future building in Dubai | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Ameka looks shocked. Her eyes flutter as she looks to the side, and ponders my question: ‘What do you like to eat?’
“I’m not alive, but I need a permanent power supply…” she says. i ask her if she knows Rajinikanth, Unfortunately, Ameca – the world’s most advanced humanoid robot representing the forefront of human-robotics technology – is not. but she can still gossip, humorously and importantly About have a conversation.
Ameka, a robot with a human-like face, is just one of the many gasping-for-air aspects of Dubai’s Museum of the Future (MOTF). Opened in February 2022, this 77-feet modern architectural marvel is today one of Dubai’s top tourist attractions, having welcomed more than one million visitors from 163 countries.
Humanoid robot inside Amaka, Dubai’s ‘Museum of the Future’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The building itself is worth a visit; It is one of the many skyscrapers in Dubai. Spread over an area of 30,000 square metres, it represents an innovative global intellectual hub. One of the most striking elements lies in the Arabic calligraphy that wraps the entire façade. It also represents quotes from the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and is a symbol of travel to the future. One of them reads, “We may not live for hundreds of years, but the products of our creativity can leave a legacy long after we are gone.”
look | inside the museum of the future
We are told that the pillarless structure represents an innovative global intellectual center. Majid Al Mansoori, Deputy Executive Director of the Museum of the Future, says, “It is a laboratory designed to foster collaborative innovation between the Arab world’s leading scientists to inspire new out-of-the-box solutions to tomorrow’s biggest challenges.” Designed to foster emotion.”
past forward
Whereas archive While India and around the world celebrate the past, this unique museum delves into the future. Mansoori further states that the idea behind it is to act as a ‘gateway to the world of the future’. “It is a comprehensive portal for visitors to study the future. It provides an engaging experience through a variety of technologies, exhibitions and talks designed to encourage visitors to form their own perceptions about future opportunities.” while inspiring them to design the future they want to experience,” he says.
A glimpse inside Dubai’s museum of the future | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A tour inside this museum gives you an opportunity to immerse yourself in the thoughts of the future. For example, there’s a depiction of OSS Hope, humanity’s home in space, where you can potentially learn about life aboard a giant station in the year 2071.
Another highlight is The Heal Institute, a speculative organization that exists in the year 2071 to implement technologies that will help repair the damage done to the natural world as a result of climate change. If you have kids, you can check out the ‘Future Heroes’ space, an exhibition that mainly caters to the younger generation and is designed to be a playful environment. “We see the museum as a comprehensive laboratory for future cities like Dubai,” says Mansoori.
The year 2023 has been a momentous one for the people at the MOTF, with tickets being highly sought after and most days completely sold out. On its first anniversary earlier this year, he revealed that the museum has hosted over 180 local and global activities and events. There are also exciting latest additions; Chief among them is Robodog, a pet that is part of a new generation of advanced robots and greets visitors as they walk through the museum’s lobby. Mansoori says, “The robodog has been built using machine learning and AI and boasts of 17 joints to enhance its smooth movement apart from the ability to see in three dimensions, map terrain and avoid obstacles.” Enables movement and rotation with high flexibility.
(The author was in Dubai at the invitation of Dubai Economy and Tourism)