Students from the Brooks’ VEX Robotics program are helping BRAVO make some magic in this spring’s production of “Mary Poppins.” The show has a scene where a table is broken and Mary Poppins works her magic to reassemble it. BRAVO asked Brian Shinners, head coach of the VEX Robotics program at Brooks, if his young engineers could help design and create such a table.
Seven VEX Robotics team members signed up for the challenge: Aiden Domenz, Takuma Kawamura, Danny Lingen, Jake Matyas, Ben Moyer, Cyrus Murray and Sam Shafiro. The boys created a clever pulley system using VEX Robotics parts that are mounted on the underside of the table. The pulley cording cranks the legs back into place, thus making it appear the table reassembles itself by magic. The gears are operated using a remote control off stage during the performance.
Come check out this clever engineering feat in action during performances of “Mary Poppins” on May 1-3 and May 8-9 at Brooks Middle School.