Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) will open its campus Saturday, June 10, for the sixth annual TouchTomorrow a festival of science, technology, and robots. This free, family-friendly festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, and features hands-on activities and exhibits designed to inspire children, teens, and young adults to explore the thrill and fun of science and technology. Exhibits are presented by WPI, WGBH and a wide variety of museums, educational organizations, and companies.
For the fourth year in a row, WGBH, a national leader in the effort to expand science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the classroom and at home, will serve as the official media partner for the festival.. This year 
WGBH will present its popular Design Squad challenge, NOVA education exhibits, and a project affiliated with NASA about this summer’s solar eclipse.
Also presenting at TouchTomorrow this year are David Clark Company, Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), and General Electric (GE). Exhibits will showcase forensic science and crime scene technology and a mini-robot competition.
TouchTomorrow participants can:
- Activate a mind-controlled robotic hand.
- Watch robots paint a picture from a photograph.
- Explore the fire protection engineering, medical robotic, and biomedical engineering labs at WPI’s Gateway Park.
- See how heart tissue can grow on spinach leaves—WPI research that has received international media attention.
- Engage in hands-on activities—build a centrifuge to separate Kool-Aid colors, help a robot play a musical instrument, and use advanced manufacturing technology, including laser cutters and 3-D printers.
- Talk with WPI researchers who are exploring autonomous vehicle technology, building homes of the future, and developing a cooling technology that is being tested on the International Space Station.
- Learn about WPI student project work in robotics, game design and animation, and architectural engineering, among other areas.
Media wishing to cover the event or do a preview story should contact Colleen Wamback at cbwamback@wpi.edu or 508-688-4858.
