In pictures: Technology's hidden past

Tucked away in the corners of the vast hangars are pieces of machinery and objects from around the world.

Alongside machines used to sequence the genome of the nematode worm are early examples of banking machines, MRI scanners and robots.

The Unimate was an early example of a robotic arm.

"It is one of the first automated pieces of the automotive industry," said Miss Leskard.

The first example was installed by General Motors in 1962.