Flip on Tour : The real Loch Ness Monster

Flip is the world’s first scientifically-accurate plesiosaur robot, which is currently being used to study plesiosaur locomotion in the hydrodynamics lab at Imperial College London. Based on real plesiosaur fossils, the design uses a combination of aerospace engineering, robotics, and palaeontology to discover the secrets of these prehistoric beasts.

With your help I plan to get Flip out of the lab and on the road to educate the public about evolution, robotics, and marine ecosystems. Research is often conducted behind closed doors, but with your support we can show how to bring science to life and inspire the next generation of budding scientists and engineers.

Although Flip will be the star of the show, a range of other robots and activities will be developed to help this exciting story to be told in an engaging and educational way.

The tour will visit schools, museums and summer camps starting in the summer of 2024, and will consist of a variety of talks, shows and workshops, tailored to the age range and interests of the audiences. Should the target be reached, at least 20 events will be produced, which will be completely free to attend. Surveys will be sent out to supporters to gather suggestions for the tour locations and dates, so you will have the opportunity to request a show in your school or local museum. Some of the places that I want to bring Flip to are at the bottom of the page.

The funds will be used to develop the robots and activities for the shows as well as to cover the transport and accommodation expenses of the tour. A professional videographer will be hired to record some of the events, which will be available on my YouTube channel. This will maximise the impact of the project, and will mean that the shows are not restricted only to those who can attend the events.

Luke describing plesiosaur hydrodynamics at Ocean and Earth Day 2015 at the National Oceanography Centre

As the world’s foremost expert in plesiosaur hydrodynamics and an experienced producer and host of science stage shows I am well placed to develop an engaging and educational programme that is bound to spark curiosity and intrigue. I hope that you can support me in this project to communicate the magic of science to a wider audience, and I appreciate any donation you can make.

Luke hosting the Fire Organ show for Guerilla Science at Secret Garden Party 2017. Photo: Richard Eaton

Thanks!

Luke

Some places that I hope to take Flip:

Museums

The Yorkshire Natural History Museum in Sheffield.

The Natural History Museum London

Kelvingrove Museum Glasgow

National Museum Cardiff

National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh

Lyme Regis Museum

Museum of Somerset in Taunton

New Walk Museum in Leicester

Oxford Museum of Natural History

Sedgewick Museum of Earth Sciences Cambridge

Dinosaur Isle Museum on the Isle of Wight

The Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit

Science Festivals

Lyme Regis Fossil Festival

Yorkshire Fossil Festival

Bone Day – Dinosaur Isle

Cheltenham Science Festival

The Great Exhibition Road Festival – Imperial College London

The Edinburgh Science Festival

Summer Science Exhibition – Royal Society