What is the actual process behind making a toy? And what astounding innovations do visionaries believe will change the way we live and work in the future? Get the answers to these and other burning questions at two absorbing Museum of Science and Industry exhibits.

Discover the entire manufacturing process of creating a toy at Toymaker 3000: An Adventure in Automation. With eight interactive stations, 12 moving robots, and a 2000-square foot automated assembly line, this exhibit demonstrates how to make 300 toys per hour using Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) to streamline production from gathering the parts to assembling and even packaging the toys. Kids can watch their own gravitron toy top be constructed – complete with personalized name and custom color – and program robots to perform certain tasks or even dance.

Fast Forward..Inventing the Future – an “immersive multimedia exploration of how our future lives are being shaped today” – shows how some visionaries are working toward tomorrow. At this exhibit, you can learn about cuisine made by ink-jet printers, instant-messaged hugs you can feel, high-rise farming, and other amazing ideas from these inventors and test-drive some of their innovations yourself.