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Copyright Hayes Davidson
- Interact with a family of cutting edge robots
- Use infrared cameras to see an "invisible" sculpture
- See other new sculptures by leading contemporary artists
- Marvel at the giant South American Leaf Cutter Ants
- Unravel the mysteries of the Mind through technology
Visitors to the Dome's Mind zone will be able to change their race or even
their gender. Special morphing machines, originally used by the FBI but now
upgraded and having their world premiere in the Dome, will feature in Mind along
with a family of interactive 21st Century robots, new sculptures by leading
artists and even a colony of giant South American ants. Designed by Zaha Hadid,
Mind is jointly sponsored by British Aerospace and Marconi both of whom are
providing advice and technology.
Photograph: Gautier Deblonde
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Using advanced technology in unique and exciting ways, a
selection of leading artists and scientists are creating up to twenty
stimulating exhibits for Mind. These exhibits will help visitors unlock the
mysteries of the mind, delve into the world of perception and illusion and
celebrate the power of creativity. The attractions will be housed in an
extraordinary architectural landscape that appears to defy gravity - a maze-like
structure, like no other in the world. The journey through Mind will take
visitors into tunnels, wide open decks, corridors, chambers and even hidden
staircases.
Mind will also be the world's first "intelligent" building. Using
revolutionary technology developed by British Aerospace in partnership with
Southampton-based firm Smart Fibres, Mind will appear to "live" and
"breathe" by communicating with its operators.
Exhibits inside the zone will use similar cutting edge technology in their
exploration of the mind. One of these exhibits – Working Brain – will take
visitors on an amazing 3D journey through the human brain by using highly
advanced Marconi medical imaging technology. Other exhibits will also show how
technology is constantly improving our perception of the world around us and
enhancing our understanding of the mind. It will also be used to trick the minds
of visitors, to reveal their powers of perception and even to challenge their
sense of self as they change their race or gender.
 Leading
contemporary artists who are producing specially commissioned pieces of art
include Turner Prize winner Richard Deacon as well as "Sensation"
artists Gavin Turk, and Ron Mueck. The late Helen Chadwick's "Self
Portrait" (left) will also be displayed.
Visitors will pass though four sections that explore different aspects of the
mind:
- What is a Mind? – this area, located in the entrance tunnel, explores
what we mean by a "mind". Highlights include the Robot Zoo, Helen
Chadwick's "Self Portrait", a new wooden sculpture by Turner Prize
winner Richard Deacon and an exhibit that uses advanced brain scanning
imagery to explore the working brain. Visitors will also gain their first
glimpse of the ant colony in this tunnel.
- Perception and Illusion – the second section of Mind looks at the world
of perception and illusion, how the mind plays tricks on us and how
technology is allowing us to see the world in new ways. Attractions include
an "invisible" sculpture by Gavin Turk (only visible by using
infrared cameras that can then be turned on friends) and a new 4.6 metre
high figure by Ron Mueck. An optical illusion will also challenge the minds
of visitors while a new film - "The Scale of Time and Space" –
by New Renaissance will show how technology is changing our perception of
the world.
- Mind to Mind – the third section of Mind looks at the world of language,
the ways in which minds communicate with each other and the impact of
collective thinking. It also looks at the role that communications
technology is playing in revolutionising the flow of information across the
globe. Attractions include a colony of giant Leaf Cutter ants and an
interactive Internet Web Stalker exhibit.
- Potential and Identity – the final section of the journey through Mind
celebrates the potential of the mind, our unique ability to choose between
different futures and the relationship between our mind and our sense of
self. Attractions include the acoustic dislocation chamber, a futuristic
interactive game and the morphing machines that allow visitors to change
their race or gender.
Intelligent Buildings
The Dome's Mind zone will take the concept of the "intelligent"
building to a new level, allowing visitors to see how the structure reacts to
their weight. Utilising revolutionary technology developed by British
Aerospace in partnership with Southampton-based firm Smart Fibres, Mind will
appear to "live" and "breathe" by communicating with its
operators.
The technology employed will make Mind one of the world's most
"intelligent" buildings with sensors throughout the structure
providing continuous real-time reports on load bearing and local temperatures.
Using structural load analysis diagrams, six high-strain locations have been
pinpointed on the steel structure of the Mind zone. Optical fibre strain
sensors, fabricated into an optical wire with a cross section as small as a
human hair, have been surface bonded onto the steel beams to monitor the loading
at each of these locations. In addition, there will be an optical sensor at each
location to monitor the corresponding temperature. All the information on strain
and temperature will be fed back to the hardware interface unit, where it is
processed and analysed.
The Smart Fibres system technology literally gives the Mind zone its own
"nervous system" feeding information into a central "brain."
The system will monitor key load bearing points on the zone both with and
without visitors. Visitors to the zone will be able to see the loading
measurements, and gain an appreciation of the principle behind
"intelligent" structures. It will also be useful for the structural
design engineers to see the actual loading on the structure compared with their
estimated figures.
The potential of Smart Fibres technology is enormous, and the scope of
immediate applications ranges from aerospace structures, offshore operations,
oil pipelines, underground tunnels, Formula One racing cars to traffic
monitoring on bridges.
The system demonstrated in the Mind zone will act as a model for future
planning and assessment of how structures actually behave in their operating
environments, throughout their entire lifetimes. By looking at the state of a
structure on an ongoing basis, it will become possible to arrange preventative
maintenance, saving costly structural inspection and downtime.
- Sponsored by British Aerospace and Marconi (GEC plc)
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