The Science Museum's Launchpad gallery first opened in 1986 and soon became one of the most well-known galleries in the field of interactives. Over 20 years later in 2007, the gallery was relaunched in a new space and with new exhibits. Amongst these is the Big Machine - a reinvention of the Grain Pit exhibit, designed and produced by Science Projects and now firmly established as one of the most popular exhibits at Launchpad.
It is based on five simple machines: lever, wedge, screw, pulley and wheel. Visitors work together to move a store of small grain-like pellets from one area to another, making use of the mechanical advantage of the machines. The Big Machine is surrounded by a number of 'pods' - interactive table-top demonstrations focusing on one of the machines for visitors who want to explore further.
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