Mobilab

Welcome, young scientists! Step into Mobilab, BCM’s new featured exhibition opening on Saturday, September 20.

At this new exhibit, you’ll build your own toy vehicle, then examine, measure, and weigh it. Now the testing begins: Can it ride the ramps, tackle rugged terrain, and jump through a hoop? With each run you’ll see what changed – and how to make it better.

Time to suit up in a lab coat and get curious. At Mobilab’s build bench, you’ll snap on wheels and axles, pick a body, and adjust weight and balance. At the Data Center, you’ll measure size and weight and give your vehicle a unique code so you can compare runs.

Next, push your design. On the test slopes, release two wheels at once to see which rolls farther. Compare a long frame and a tall frame on the bumpy stability track. Swap wheel types or change the ramp surface to feel friction at work. At the gearbox station, connect the engine crank to the wheels using gears, then turn it to set the wheels in motion. Finally, finish at The Jump: send your vehicle down the ramp and see if you can make it through the hoop.

You’ll leave with an understanding that solving a problem requires a process. Testing ideas is important to making them better – a lot can be learned from mistakes!

Ready to roll? Plan your visit today.