LEGO Systems, Inc.
Traveling exhibit
Opened March 1994

Invention Adventure, LEGO Systems, Inc.’s first traveling exhibit for science centers, began a tour of major museums in 1994. Having proved immensely popular, it has been refurbished several times over the course of six years on the road nationally and internationally, and embarked on a tour of new and repeat venues in September 2000.

The 2,500 square foot exhibit is designed to create a positive experience with science and technology as visitors use LEGO bricks and components to discover how familiar inventions work. Exhibits are organized around several role-playing challenges which pose specific problems to be solved; they include models of possible solutions and examples of real world analogs. In addition, elaborate LEGO models of recognizable innovations surround and define the challenge areas. The design process began with prototyping. Many exhibit components were tested with museum visitors in the “Test Tube” lab of the Museum of Science, Boston. Based on our observations and test results, each element was refined for maximum appeal to young visitors, ease of use and ability to withstand constant manipulation.

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Interactive challenges include:

Earthquake! No one has ever built a building to withstand a city’s frequent earthquakes. Visitors use DUPLO blocks to build structures to withstand anintense “earthquake” on a mechanical vibrating table.

Bridge the Bottomless Canyon! As explorers, visitors must invent a bridge to get to the other side of a bottomless canyon. Using only a limited number of bricks, visitors construct bridges to connect two foundations on opposite sides of a chasm.

Speedway! Race against the speedway “king,” Hotshot Holloway; his car races automatically. A computer controls the race and the finish is timed using optosensors and displayed on a video monitor. Visitors can make changes to their cars again and again until they make the fastest car possible.

Escape from Space Maze! A futuristic space station has captured the visitor’s robot companion. The robot can be programmed to escape from a maze – it can be told what to do when it hits a wall (using its touch sensors), sees a light (using its light sensors) or hears a sound (using its microphone). After receiving your instructions, the robot attempts to escape the maze alone or races against another visitor’s robot.