Museum of Science and Industry

COMPUTER INTEGRATED ASSEMBLY LINE MANUFACTURES FUN!

See 12 Robots at Work in ToyMaker 3000

CHICAGO—ToyMaker 3000, which opened at the Museum of Science and Industry as a permanent exhibit in spring 2003, tells the story of modern-day manufacturing with 12 robots working an assembling line—and you get to watch the robots in action, producing more than 300 colorful toy tops in an hour!

The computer integrated assembly line, 2,000-square-feet long, whirs with the constant motion of purple, green and orange plastic pieces which are put together into toy tops called “Gravitons” with the help of 12 robotic arms.

You can witness the assembly process step by step—and if you want, for a small fee, you can customize one of the tops to be engraved with your own name. Large area markers hang above the processing area, putting the assembly process in context and helping you learn more about each action. The process culminates as a robot delivers you a customized, packaged toy top. All other tops that had not been customized, but have gone through the assembly process, are disassembled in front of your eyes and robotically “dumped” into appropriate storage bins.  This non-stop process takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish.

The constant action, bright colors, and “whizzing” sound of the robots accomplishing their tasks, illustrates manufacturing’s important clean, smart and safe role in the 21st century and beyond.

Beyond the assembling line, you have the unique opportunity to learn more about robotics and see a number of robots in action—as you direct them to complete a number of fun tasks. They can draw pictures and trace letters racing you to see who can do it faster!)—and even do a little dance after you pick their dance moves!  Among these fun activities, you can also discover the diverse types of jobs in today’s automated manufacturing industry.

ToyMaker 3000 was made possible by the generous support of the following donors: Rockwell Automation, U.S. Department of Energy, ITW Foundation, U.S. Small Business Administration, Lester B. Knight Charitable Trust, Julius Frankel Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. John P. Keller.

The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) offers thousands of fun and interactive exhibits and one-of-a-kind, world-class experiences to inspire the inventive genius in everyone. Through its Center for the Advancement of Science Education, MSI also aspires to a larger vision: to inspire and motivate children to achieve their full potential in science, technology, medicine and engineering. Come visit and find your inspiration! MSI is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and regular hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Museum is supported in part through the generosity of the people of Chicago through the Chicago Park District. For more information, find MSI online at msichicago.org or call (773) 684-1414 or (800) GO-TO-MSI outside of the Chicago area.

Press Materials

• ToyMaker 3000 General Press Release (PDF)

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