Robots as Exhibits: Using a Mobile Platform in Science Centres and at Trade Shows

TL;DR: A robot for exhibition science centre use has to survive daily contact with the public, run for hours without a technician nearby, and demonstrate something meaningful in under a minute. A mobile platform like the Leo Rover meets many of these constraints with an IP54-rated chassis, swappable batteries for multi-hour operation, ROS 2 support for custom demos, and a Wi-Fi interface that staff without robotics training can operate. This article explains how to configure such a platform for museums, science centres, and trade shows, which scenarios work offline, and how to keep visitors safe while the robot is running.

Why use a robot for exhibition science centre programs?

Science centres and trade shows share the same technical brief: a device on the floor for 8-10 hours a day, touched by hundreds of hands, watched by people who expect to see something move. A static poster or a screen loop does not deliver the same kind of interaction. A mobile robot can, provided it survives the environment.

The engineering problem is not novelty. It is reliability under abuse. A robot for exhibition science centre deployment has to handle:

• Continuous public proximity, including children reaching for wheels and cameras.
• Uneven surfaces: carpet, epoxy floors, thresholds, occasional cables.
• Long duty cycles without a full recharge window.
• Operators who are educators or booth staff, not roboticists.
• Venues with poor Wi-Fi, blocked ports, or no internet at all.

Fictionlab’s Leo Rover was designed for outdoor research, but the same properties – protected electronics, replaceable batteries, ROS 2 stack, open documentation – map directly onto exhibition requirements. The rest of this article covers how to configure and operate it in that context.

What makes a mobile platform suitable as an exhibit?

Four properties matter more than raw performance: mechanical robustness, energy autonomy, safety around people, and operational simplicity. A UGV that reaches 2 m/s on a test track is irrelevant if it cannot run a demo loop for six hours without intervention.

Mechanical robustness and ingress protection

Visitors will touch the robot. They may spill drinks near it. On trade show floors, dust from carpet and cable runs will settle on any exposed connector. The Leo Rover chassis is rated IP54, meaning it is protected against limited dust ingress and against water splashing from any direction. That rating was set for field robotics, but it helps address realistic failure modes of a busy exhibit hall.

Wheels are also a stress point. Puncture-proof rubber wheels on independent suspension handle repeated small impacts, thresholds between hall sections, and minor floor irregularities.

Energy autonomy for a full show day

Trade shows and science centres do not pause for recharging. A single Leo Rover battery pack typically delivers several hours of operation depending on load; swapping to a second pack can be done quickly. The practical recipe is:

• Two battery packs per robot.
• One in use, one on a charger at the booth or back office.
• A scheduled swap during a natural break in the demo cycle.

This is the same rotation logic used in field robotics deployments, transposed to a fixed venue. Confirm charging time, charger capacity, and battery temperature limits when planning the rotation.

Safety around the public

A robot for exhibition science centre programs must not injure anyone. The two engineering levers are speed and geometry. Set a conservative maximum velocity in the robot configuration – a limit around 0.4 m/s is common for public demos – and keep the chassis low with rounded edges. For higher-risk layouts, add a physical barrier or a floor decal marking the demo zone. If the robot uses autonomous behavior, it needs a risk assessment appropriate to the installation; obstacle detection such as a front-facing depth sensor or 2D LiDAR, together with conservative stopping distances, can be part of that safety setup but is not a substitute for supervision and physical safeguards. An emergency stop accessible to the operator is essential.

How do you build demos that work without internet?

Venue Wi-Fi is unreliable. Trade show networks are congested; museum networks often block the ports you need for teleoperation or ROS 2 discovery. Assume no internet and design accordingly.

The Leo Rover can provide its own Wi-Fi access point. A tablet or phone connects directly to the robot, opens the web UI, and drives it. No router, no cloud, no external dependency is required for this setup. For ROS 2 demos, the onboard computer can run the application locally; additional devices can connect through the robot’s local network when needed.

Three demo patterns that work offline:

1. Teleoperated exploration. A visitor drives the rover through a small arena with obstacles, viewing the live camera feed on a screen. Total learning time: under 30 seconds. This is the workhorse demo for open days.
2. Pre-recorded autonomous loop. The robot follows a fixed path using wheel odometry and a few ArUco markers on the floor. It stops at stations to trigger short explanations played from an onboard speaker. No SLAM, no external localization needed.
3. Sensor visualization. The rover sits on a raised platform. Visitors move objects in front of it and watch a LiDAR scan or depth image update on a monitor. This is popular in science centres because it makes the robot’s “perception” visible.

These demos can run using the rover’s onboard computer and devices connected to its local Wi-Fi network. None requires a cloud service or a working venue network.

How do you prepare staff who are not roboticists?

The operator at a science centre is typically an educator; at a trade show, a sales engineer or booth staffer. Neither has time to debug ROS 2 topics between visitors. The interface has to be reduced to the minimum.

A workable operator setup includes:

• A single tablet bookmarked to the rover’s web UI, pre-connected to the robot’s Wi-Fi.
• A physical emergency stop or a large software stop button on the tablet.
• A one-page laminated runbook covering: turning the robot on, starting the demo, swapping the battery, and what to do if the robot stops responding.
• A labeled charging station with both battery slots visible.

Across education deployments, the moment an operator needs to open a terminal, the demo is likely to stop running for the day. Keep everything visual and physical.

What scenarios match different venues?

The demo has to match the audience’s attention window. A trade show visitor gives you 60 to 90 seconds. A science centre visitor may spend five to ten minutes. Match the scenario accordingly.

Trade shows

Short, repeatable, visual. A teleoperation lane with a camera feed on a large screen behind the booth works well. The visitor drives; the screen shows what the robot sees. This communicates two things at once: the platform is capable, and the platform is approachable. If the booth is presenting a specific integration (for example, a robotic arm mounted on the rover, or a custom sensor payload), keep the base motion simple so attention stays on the payload.

Science centres and museums

Longer engagement and educational framing. The rover can be part of a station about autonomous vehicles, planetary exploration, or robot perception. Pair it with a short explanation panel and a hands-on element – a button that triggers a behavior, a joystick with defined limits, or a physical model of the sensor field of view.

University open days and STEM outreach

These sit between the two. Visitors are more technical, engagement time is medium, and there is usually a research group willing to explain what they built. Here the rover often runs a real research demo (SLAM, object detection, a custom controller) at reduced speed. See Fictionlab’s notes on education applications for platform choices in this context.

How do you handle wear and maintenance during a multi-day event?

A three-day trade show can mean 24-30 operating hours. Plan for it.

Practical maintenance checklist between show days:

• Wipe the chassis and camera lens; dust accumulates faster than expected.
• Check wheel bolts and suspension mounting points.
• Verify battery health – a pack that drops below expected runtime should be rotated out.
• Restart the onboard computer at the start of each day to clear any lingering processes.
• Keep spare wheels, a spare battery, and any model-specific replacement parts needed for the Wi-Fi system in a case at the venue.

None of this is exotic. It is the same discipline used in field robotics, applied to a controlled indoor environment.

FAQ

Is the Leo Rover safe to operate around children?

It can be operated safely when speed limits are set conservatively, the demo zone is supervised, and the installation has been assessed for its specific risks. For unsupervised interaction, use a physical barrier or restrict the robot to a raised platform.

Can the robot run all day on one charge?

Not necessarily under continuous use. Runtime depends on payload, terrain, driving pattern, and battery condition. The practical setup is two battery packs rotated through a charger, provided the charging schedule keeps up with use.

Does the demo need internet access?

No. The rover can provide its own Wi-Fi access point, allowing a tablet to connect directly and use the web UI. ROS 2 applications can run locally on the onboard computer.

Can non-technical staff operate the robot?

Yes, if the interface is reduced to the web UI or a pre-configured tablet and staff receive practical training on the specific demo, battery handling, and emergency-stop procedure.

What happens if the robot crashes or freezes mid-demo?

Follow the runbook: stop the robot safely, check the battery and connection, and restart the robot if necessary. Keep the runbook visible at the booth so any operator can perform the reset.

Can we mount custom payloads for a specific exhibit?

The Leo Rover has a defined mounting plate and exposed power and data interfaces. Custom payloads (arms, additional sensors, displays) are a common integration path. Check the documentation for the mechanical and electrical specifications and the payload limits.

Is the platform suitable for outdoor exhibition areas?

Yes, subject to the conditions of the installation. The Leo Rover was designed for outdoor field use, and its IP54 rating provides protection against dust and water splashes. Avoid prolonged exposure to heavy rain, standing water, and excessive heat, and plan shade where direct sun may affect the electronics enclosure.

For configuration guidance, demo scenarios, and integration support for museums, science centres, and trade shows, see Fictionlab’s exhibition applications page.