Calculated Fun

The Museum of Mathematics, located in New York City, is the only museum in America dedicated to the exploration of mathematics. Evolving from a carnival-themed travelling exhibit called Math Midway into a hands-on visitor center, MoMath is designed to stimulate inquiry, spark curiosity, and reveal the wonders of math. Featuring over forty interactive, math-themed exhibits, designed for play and experimentation.

The 10,000 square foot museum is housed on two levels and allows visitors to move freely through the exhibits, rather than through a series of galleries. Exhibits take complex mathematical concepts and express them in tactile relatable experiences. The Tracks of Galileo is an adjustable pair of tracks designed to explore the brachistochrone problem. Visitors set up paths, release cars from the top of the track, and time how long it takes the cars to reach the finish line. By adjusting the tracks and repeating the race, visitors discover which path results in the fastest time. The Human Tree features two stations where visitors stand before a green screen. A camera and Kinect record the position of the visitors, then replicates that position as a tree on the display screen, changing in real time as visitors move.

Mathematically Precise Prototypes

kubik maltbie worked closely with MoMath to prototype, engineer, fabricate, and install many of the museum’s interactives, such as the Hyper Hyperboloid, Pattern Mesh, Time Tables, Tessellation Station, 3-D Doodle, Shape Ranger, Tracks of Galileo, Pattern Mesh, Time Tables and Human Tree. Creation of the interactive exhibits required extensive prototyping and testing to ensure that mathematical concepts would be translated into easy-to-use, durable exhibits. kubik maltbie worked closely with the Museum of Mathematics’ in-house design team and the general contractor, Benchmark Builders, during the fabrication and installation process so that the exhibits would run smoothly and be safely incorporated into the base building.