Road Trip!

This is perhaps one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

The unique design of this giant, Mouse Trap inspired Rube Goldberg-style contraption was cleverly gleaned from the memories of childhood, twisted out of scale, then sketched beyond life size. It features an enormous construct of crazy stairs, a flame-throwing lamppost, careening bowling balls, and a hand-built, 30-foot-tall crane capable of lifting and dropping 5 tons! The object of this vaudevillian encounter is to "accomplish by complex means what seemingly could be done simply"! So our lucky players get to lift a 400-lb cast-iron bathtub 13 feet into the air, crank cranks, load springs and turn impossibly huge gears, all in a supreme effort to crush a trinket of meaning (say, a 1,200 lb pumpkin) under a falling 2-ton bank safe! The Mousetrap is impressive as a static sculpture, but it is the motion, started by a human, that is the heart of its existence.

This larger than life size Rube Goldberg machine will be on display at this years Maker Fair. The fair is held at the San Mateo fair grounds in San Mateo CA on May 19th and 20th. I'll be attending if anyone wants to join in.

Fair Info