Turning from Exhibition Road onto Imperial College Road last Sunday I walked straight into one of the coolest contraptions I have ever seen: CRUMBUCKET MECHANICAL DRAGON.
A perfect blend of creativity and structure.
Made by Keith, a musician whose children no longer needed their bikes and whose father no longer needed his tools, he designed and crafted this marvel of creativity and mechanics. With cranks, knobs, and bellows to turn flags, blow bubbles, and honk horns, kids and adults alike lined up for a chance to take part.
Next time I hope to be there when he dissembles the whole thing to fit into his van!
Inside and outside the buildings, the Imperial Science Festival was PACKED to the brim with interesting displays of boundary-breaking science; I watched a manned wheelchair turn, reverse, and go forward by eye movement of its pilot alone; I played Pac Man using a grabAble cube that helps patients regain muscle control in their arms by playing games. So many cool solutions to problems faced by people all over the world--and festival participants got to try them out. How cool is that?!
Whizzy demos, balloons, robotic limbs, super bugs, jelly worms, ancient microbes, flight simulator, brain waves, shoebox satellites--I can't wait until next year!!