Explora! and Breezy One
The Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum is a fun and exciting place for hands-on learning. People born and raised in Albuquerque have probably spent a fair share of their childhoods here, and returning as an adult may bring back some nostalgic feelings of running around and playing with everything without a parent constantly scolding you for touching things. However, as a newcomer, I was super surprised by all the exhibits and just how interactive it was. A highlight for me was definitely the giant elevator with a piano in it.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the museum to shut down last year. It has finally reopened, and, like many other places, Explora has implemented new sanitation practices so that everyone who enters the building can stay safe. One change they made was bringing our Breezy One robot in for the routine disinfection of the entire space. Breezy renders viruses ineffective and kills bacteria, allowing Explora’s employees to have peace of mind every day that they come into work. Plus, adding a robot to a science museum just makes sense! Hopefully the children won’t assume it’s just another cool display that they can play with.
Adult Night is Back!
Many exciting programs and events are coming back now that it is safe enough to do so. With some relaxed restrictions and new additions like Breezy One, Explora has brought back Adult Night, an event for people ages 18 and older to spend a couple hours exploring the museum (without kids). Everyone is encouraged to let their inner-child run free and play in the sand, blow bubbles, and press as many buttons as possible. On Friday, August 27th, Explora hosted its first Adult Night since the pandemic started, and wanted to make sure all visitors understood why it was safe to come. Breezy One did a demonstration (using water, not disinfectant!) and captured everyone’s attention. Below you can see a short clip of the event.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAJs0LfQq-U&ab_channel=BuildWithRobots
Many people asked questions about the robot and took pictures with it. Simply telling everyone that a building has been disinfected isn’t really enough; people like to see visual proof. Plus, there is nothing exciting about manual fogging - but a fogging robot? Now you’ve got people’s attention. And they won’t only remember the way it did figure-eights around the room. They’ll remember that businesses like Explora are safe for them.
Building up Our Community
New Mexico as a state isn’t really on many people’s radars. As someone who originally only came here for college, I never expected to stay. When most Americans think about cities with a lot of opportunities, their minds probably go straight to places like New York City and Los Angeles, not Albuquerque. They think of crowded, loud places with giant skyscrapers; they think of the hundreds of movies we’ve all seen set in these two cities. On the other hand, the main images that outsiders have of New Mexico have to do with nature and our diverse landscapes, and that is thanks to the great work of New Mexico True.
Because of this, I see a lot of value in building bonds between businesses. New Mexico is a very beautiful place to visit, but it can also be a great place to live and work, and I think showcasing that is important. Partnerships such as this one between Build With Robots and Explora are not made just to benefit our own public images. Distinguishing New Mexico and Albuquerque as a beautiful and opportunity-filled place is important to me, and will help to elevate the place that I now call home.
