Museum of Science, Boston, Celebrates the Creativity of Engineering with New Exhibit, Engineering Design Workshop, Powered by MathWorks

The New Permanent Exhibit Creates an Inclusive Opportunity for All Ages to Discover Engineering and Computer Science Learning

Boston, MA, United States - (4 Mar 2021)

The Museum of Science, Boston, one of the world’s largest science centers, announced today the opening of Engineering Design Workshop, Powered by MathWorks, a new, permanent exhibit that will invite visitors to think, create, and problem solve like engineers. Developed by the Museum of Science, with generous support from MathWorks, this new exhibit will inspire visitors of all ages to engage in the skills used by engineers and computer scientists to solve creative problems.

“Creating transformative experiences for visitors to immerse themselves in the diverse field of engineering is at the heart of our mission of inspiring a love of science in everyone,” said Tim Ritchie, president of the Museum of Science. “Partnering with MathWorks, a leader in computational thinking, we’ve been able to design an enriching experience that brings visitors along in the engineering design process through experiential learning. Engineering Design Workshop, Powered by MathWorks will ultimately be an active and iterative embodiment of the role that creativity plays in engineering and computer science.”

Over the course of five years, exhibit staff at the Museum of Science worked with engineers at MathWorks to develop a  permanent exhibition that invites visitors of all ages to explore the many ways that engineers solve problems and create the solutions that impact our lives.

“This collaboration epitomizes the deep and long-standing partnership between our company and the Museum,” said Jeanne O’Keefe, chief financial officer and senior vice president of MathWorks. “We are excited to be a part of the Museum’s next generation of exhibits, which then seeks to inspire the next generation of engineers and innovators.”

Inside Engineering Design Workshop, Powered by MathWorks, visitors of all ages blend the creativity of hands-on engineering with state-of-the-art digital analysis delivered by MathWorks flagship product, MATLAB. Within the exhibit, guests will find the new home of the Museum’s immensely popular Design Challenges program. The challenges offer visitors the opportunity to use familiar materials and repurposed items to create and iterate models based on the daily prompt. The program offers visitors the opportunity to explore the engineering design process to create, test, and iterate their own designs.

The exhibit also includes a series of self-guided interactive stations where visitors are encouraged to think like engineers to design, build, and test devices in a digital setting focusing on key engineering principles including:

  • Sift & Sort: A mechanical engineering design lab where visitors can create a sorting machine that will collect balls based on their different properties.

  • Dive & Splash: A modeling and simulation design lab that offers visitors the ability to physically build divers and virtually test their designs to try to accomplish the deepest or shallowest dive possible; or the biggest or smallest splash with their diver.

  • Program & Collect: A computational thinking design lab that combines two experiences into one. This collaborative, computational thinking experience offers guests the ability to program robots and systems to collect and sort gems to activate an art experience.

The new exhibit also features two Young Learner Zones. The Test and Measure and Plan and Predict zones are strategically designed to support the development of foundational engineering skills.

Engineering Design Workshop, Powered by MathWorks focuses on the importance of visitors of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to have fun and learn together,” said Dr. Christine Reich, Jane and Payson Swaffield chief learning officer. “The exhibit was developed for visitors to immerse themselves onsite and online in the core fundamentals of engineering through iteration, creative thinking, and problem decomposition to create solutions like an engineer.”

Engineering Design Workshop offers visitors opportunities to discover the many ways people use the engineering design process to improve our lives. From disciplines, including art, nature, sport, health and conservation, the exhibit aims to share how the field of engineering is as diverse and multifaceted  as the Museum’s visitors themselves. Engineering Stories, a series of vignettes available online and as a component of the exhibit itself, demonstrates the critical engineering thinking skills in practice through real-life case studies that highlight the innovative nature of people from all over New England.

Engineering Design Workshop, Powered by MathWorks will open on March 22, 2021. The exhibit is included with Exhibit Hall admission and tickets go on sale March 8. All visitors including members, holders of MA EBT/WIC, ConnectorCare cards, and other free/discounted passes must reserve tickets in advance either online at mos.org or by phoning 617-723-2500. 

About the Museum of Science, Boston

Among the world's largest science centers, and New England’s most attended cultural institution, the Museum of Science engages 1.4 million visitors a year to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through interactive exhibits and programs. Nearly an additional 2 million people experience the Museum annually through touring exhibitions, traveling programs, planetarium productions and preK-8 EiE® STEM curricula through the William and Charlotte Bloomberg Science Education Center. Established in 1830, the Museum is home to such iconic exhibits as the Thompson Theater of Electricity, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, and the Mugar Omni Theater. The Museum influences formal and informal STEM education through research and national advocacy, as a strong community partner and loyal educator resource, and as a leader in universal design, developing exhibits and programming accessible to all. Learn more at mos.org

Press Contact:

Remy Frisch: 617-589-0256, press@mos.org

About MathWorks

MathWorks is the leading developer of mathematical computing software. MATLAB, the language of engineers and scientists, is a programming environment for algorithm development, data analysis, visualization, and numeric computation. Simulink is a block diagram environment for simulation and Model-Based Design of multidomain and embedded engineering systems. Engineers and scientists worldwide rely on these product families to accelerate the pace of discovery, innovation, and development in automotive, aerospace, electronics, financial services, biotech-pharmaceutical, and other industries. MATLAB and Simulink are also fundamental teaching and research tools in the world's universities and learning institutions. Founded in 1984, MathWorks employs more than 5000 people in 16 countries, with headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts, USA. For additional information, visit mathworks.com.

MATLAB and Simulink are registered trademarks of The MathWorks, Inc. See mathworks.com/trademarks for a list of additional trademarks. Other product or brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.