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This new exhibit was installed on the first floor of the South Building as part of the Bando Kobe Science Museum’s 40th anniversary renovation.

As visitors watch balls roll from high to low points along the track, they can visually grasp how potential energy transforms into kinetic energy. The exhibit also includes interactive quiz-style features, encouraging guests to learn through play as they discover the relationship between height, motion, and energy.

The Ball Roller Coaster, located in the Physics & Chemistry area of the museum, is designed to help visitors visually understand how potential energy transforms into kinetic energy. Starting with the simple question, “Why does a ball speed up as it rolls from a higher to a lower point?”, the exhibit encourages curiosity and a deeper understanding of fundamental physical principles.

BASSDRUM was responsible for concept development and experiential design for this renewal project. Key points along the course are enhanced with synchronized visual explanations displayed on four monitors, using a combination of real-time footage, slow-motion video, and strobe-based motion imagery. The system detects the ball’s movement with sensors and plays back perfectly timed visuals to align with the actual rolling motion, creating a seamless, integrated experience.
Another display, connected to the handle for the ball-lifting elevator, presents a series of thought-provoking questions that deepen the visitor’s engagement with the exhibit.

Though simple in structure, the installation is designed around the theme of “a guide to observation,” offering new discoveries and insights with each visit through a variety of perspectives and layered experiences.