Transportation is all about moving stuff—including ourselves—from one place to another. This takes valuable time and energy, so we’re always looking to design better, faster, and more efficient ways to keep things moving.
Up, Up, and Away
Sponsored by Mark and Claudia Thompson, Jennifer Thompson, and Tracy Thompson Kindem – H.A. Thompsons & Sons
Visitors pump air from an air pump into a plastic water bottle mounted on a vertical bar. As the visitor pumps, the air pressure builds up in the bottle. When the pressure gets high enough, the bottle launches.
Building Bridges
This exhibit puts visitors in the shoes of a structural engineer as they build sturdy bridges using trusses and suspension systems.
Racetrack
Sponsored by Bill Barth Ford
Visitors assemble their own cars from a collection of car bases and bodies, then race them against others. They test their cars against the time clock and find ways to make them faster on the 32-foot long track.
Robotic Arm
Sponsored by Karen Traeholt in memory of Alan Traeholt
Using remote controls, visitors direct a mechanical arm to pick up and move balls from one place to another.
Puff of Air
Sponsored by Marc and Sarah Ricks Family
Using a small air cannon, visitors aim a puff of air at a sequin wall, making the light-catching materials dance and move in the air.
Floating on Air
Sponsored by SCHEELS
Visitors explore the properties of moving air by building and launching lightweight whirligigs and helicopters in a vertical wind tube. They can take on a specific challenge or take part in free-form exploration.
Human Kaleidoscope
Sponsored by Jim and Carrie Berg, Robert and Glenda Berg, and Clyde and Kathleen Galliger in memory of Ben Berg
Mirrors are positioned tilted toward each other at an angle so the reflective surfaces face each other. Visitors see their own images as a symmetrical pattern due to repeated reflection – just like a kaleidoscope.
Blast Off
Visitors design, build, and launch paper airplanes and rockets toward a series of targets set out in a designated area on the gallery floor. By building, testing, and revising, visitors can see how making even small changes to their designs can impact a rocket’s performance.
Chain Reaction Table
Sponsored by Apex Engineering
Visitors assemble and test a Rube Goldberg machine to accomplish a simple purpose. This ball-run activity includes prefabricated mechanisms and an ample supply of parts for multiple designs and experiments.
Flight Simulator
Sponsored by North Dakota Space Grant Consortium
With facilitation provided by staff, visitors apply forces of flight to take off, fly around North Dakota, and land.
