The much anticipated year of the future is upon us. For decades, pop culture has tossed around conceptions of how the world would look in 2010; think of The Jetsons or the book and film, 2001: A Space Odyssey or the sequel to both, 2010: Odyssey Two.

While airborne SUVs aren't on the market yet, there has been enormous technological innovation in the world of robotics. Forgo picking up a science magazine and instead opt to make a day trip to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. From Feb. 13 through May 9, the museum will be hosting the traveling exhibit from the Science Museum of Minnesota, Robots + Us.

This hands-on exhibit is fully interactive, enabling visitors of all ages to come face-to-face with a myriad of life mimicking robots. Hang with Larry (the official robot mascot) and his metallic friends and chat with them about the day. Or meet Jeremiah, the avatar, who makes funny faces at passerbyers from his home on the wall.

"[The] animated digital character actually sees you and recognizes that a person is there and interacts with you. It responds to sounds and facial expressions you make and mimics those expressions," explained Megan Burtzloff, design assistant with the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.

Unnerved with the idea of interacting with robots as peers? Play God at the Mobile Robot Arena and set up a challenging obstacle course. Guide the mobile bots through the maze of objects with a light beam you control.

Frolic in the Garden of Sensory Delights, where the movement of "wacky robotic flowers" is controlled by the motion of your body. Or, make your very own robot creature called a "jitterbug."
More than a techie playground, Robots + Us lets you step into Low Life Labs, where you can check out the interesting facts robot designers are learning about simple life forms, like ants and cockroaches. For example, taken from the ant world, when building a many legged robot, for stability purposes, at least three feet must be firmly planted at all times.

Burtzloff said the exhibit features a live ant colony and relates it to how the human mind works, how the ants organize the colony, and is akin to how the human mind sorts and solves problems. Another section of the exhibit is the Thinking About Thinking section which features a chess set.

"A robot can be taught to do motion and move but, how are they at thinking for themselves?" Burtzloff described. The question being asked is about "the artificial mind versus the human mind. Is intelligence more than a collection of facts?"

According to the Science Museum of Minnesota, "the Robots and Us traveling exhibit is a playful look at how biology and engineering are coming together to close the gap between reality and our robot dreams."

Whether you're an avowed Luddite or a serial, "early adopter" of every technological innovation that hits the market, Robots + Us offers a slew of modern curiosities to delight or to simply discuss.