Future Fest 2016: Robot Battles and Star Wars Stage Combat

Future Fest will return to the city of Lincoln this week with an extraordinary showcase of space-age technology, pioneering research and futuristic fun. Inspired by the epic film franchise Star Wars, Future Fest 2016 will offer visitors the chance to try their hand at stage combat to recreate famous lightsaber battle scenes and build their own robots to go head-to-head on the day.

The sci-fi themed festival takes place on Thursday 10th November 2016 at the University of Lincoln’s Engine Shed. Tech guru, TV presenter and Visiting Lecturer Jason Bradbury will be the special guest at the annual event and will be on-hand to judge a Future Fest robot battle, where visitors’ robot creations will be pitted against each other and judged as they take on a challenging assault course.

Future Fest is a free-to-attend event that will explore past, present and future technological innovation and highlight the advances that have been made since Star Wars burst onto our screens almost 40 years ago. Visitors can see first-hand how the science fiction of the 20th century is rapidly becoming reality and explore what innovations the near future might bring. The event will feature a number of exciting interactive zones. The Robot Zone will demonstrate the very latest in cutting-edge robotics – from 3D-printed humanoids and mind-controlled androids, to tech that will see visitors immersing themselves in extraordinary virtual reality worlds and building their own robots that can compete in a purpose-built arena. In the Gaming Zone, visitors can head to ‘a galaxy far far away’ with a variety of Star Wars computer games.

In the Space Zone they can learn about the technologies which help us understand what is going on 380,000 feet above our heads, and the Movie Maker Zone will reveal how films are brought to life from concept to screen. The Stage Combat Zone will see visitors unleash their inner Luke Skywalker and learn how the best battles are fought with lightsabers.

Jason Bradbury, best known as presenter of TV’s The Gadget Show and a Visiting Lecturer on Computer Science and Product Design courses at the University of Lincoln, said: “I am so excited to be involved in Future Fest again this year after the great fun we had at last year’s inaugural event. Bringing all this expertise and technology together provides a wonderful opportunity to appreciate just how much scientific innovation has transformed the way we live in a relatively short time, and to examine some of the innovative research which could shape our future.

“Staff and students at Lincoln are working on projects that we could never have imagined 20 years ago, and that is why I am thrilled to be involved. We’re creating the future, right here, right now.”

Future Fest takes place on Thursday 10th November 2016 at the Engine Shed on the University of Lincoln’s Brayford Pool Campus. The event runs from 10am – 4pm. It is free to attend but places must be booked in advance via the University of Lincoln website.

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