Beckman Institute Open House 2013 has been set for March 8-9. The biennial event will, as in past years, be held in conjunction with Engineering Open House at the University of Illinois.

The last Beckman Open House, held in 2011, featured a number of new exhibits and popular past ones in new venues. Estimates of more than 5,000 visitors made it the largest ever for an Open House at the Institute. New in 2011 was the Language Acquisition and Robotics group’s iCub humanoid robot, Bert, who played to large crowds. Also new last time around was a popular display from the Marine Biology Lab on the third floor.   

For 2013, a second aquarium exhibit from a completely different research project will help turn the third floor into a marine world, showing how sea creatures are helping to advance science that will help humans. Once again this year, there will be 3-D displays, exhibits that take visitors into the human mind, and ones featuring varied imaging methods.

The 2013 Beckman Open House will feature more than 30 exhibits on four floors and the basement, showcasing the research work that takes place at Beckman.

Information on the Beckman Institute Open House will be posted to www.beckman.illinois.edu in February.