Raytheon’s MathsAlive! Exhibition Officially Arrives at RAF Museum Hendon

Raytheon and RAF team up to bring NASA-backed #STEM Maths exhibit to the UK

Raytheon is bringing a landmark mathematics and science skills exhibition to the UK, kicking off a nationwide tour at RAF Museum Hendon, in London.

MathsAlive! uses immersive and innovative technologies to create fun experiences, taking young visitors on a journey through a wide range of unique and interactive exhibits. It showcases the practical applications of maths in the worlds of design, engineering, technology and science.

Through 40 features such as video games, sports, robots and music, the exhibition helps children explore the real-life capabilities of maths, inspiring students to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) careers.

After completing its run in London, the exhibition will travel to further sites across the UK, reflecting Raytheon’s long-standing commitment to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers in locations nationwide.

The arrival of MathsAlive! builds on five successive years of Raytheon’s Quadcopter Challenge, which gives pupils across the UK the skills to build and fly their own quadcopters, and culminates in a national contest to crown the best young engineers and pilots.

MathsAlive! is comprised of six themed galleries. In each gallery there is a range of high-tech, mechanical and multimedia interactive experiences that challenge visitors to compete, design, build or play. Throughout the exhibition, videos and graphic displays feature STEM professionals, who explain how they apply maths to their respective fields.

More than three million people have already visited the exhibition in eight countries around the world, and the UK launch will see the addition of two new major exhibits. These include an extreme-weather alert interactive experience that lets visitors evaluate data, prepare a forecast and ‘broadcast’ a video alert, and a high-energy cyber security challenge where guests step inside a video game to combat viruses and bugs using simple code sequences, fingerprint scans, card swipes and secret codes.

Other highlights of the exhibition include designing and engineering a modern city and programming and controlling a virtual replica of Curiosity, NASA’s cutting-edge Mars rover. 

Raytheon UK Engineering Director Alex Rose-Parfitt said:

“MathsAlive! has been a great success across the globe and we are excited to welcome the exhibition to the UK for the first time. The initiative was launched to help children to understand that maths is fun, and to experience the exciting range of possible future careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths. Inspiring young people in this area is the first step in developing and securing the future of tomorrow’s workforce in the UK and also changing the hackneyed perception that maths is difficult.”

MathsAlive! is designed to appeal to visitors of all ages and levels of ability, but with particular relevance to children aged seven to 14. For teachers, the exhibition serves as an entertaining and relevant exploration lab. Each interactive station presents different types and levels of maths, so students of different ages will find the entire experience relevant and supportive of the National Curriculum.