CREATIVE MACHINES

GEORGE RHOADS ART EXPO In 2007, artist George Rhoads partnered with Creative Machines to manage, design, fabricate and represent his world-famous Ball Machine sculptures. Through this partnership, we continue to develop new fabrication methods, design elements and strategies for making engaging and long-lasting sculptures. In addition to being a renowned kinetic artist wowing audiences around the globe with his whimsical sculptures, Rhoads developed a love for painting and or

Over the last few weeks, All Systems Go has been taken apart, powder-coated in an array of bright colors, and put back together again with all its finishing touches. After the machine was reassembled we began the testing phase where the machine runs for 1,000 hours prior to leaving our shop. This process allows our team to notice any kinks that may arise and gives us an opportunity to fix any technical issues that may occur before we deliver the sculpture to our client. This

All Systems Go is a brand new interactive ball machine going into Cayton Children’s Museum by Sharewell (formerly known as Zimmer Children’s Museum). This ball machine is loaded with an array of interactive devices and functions. It’s equipped with hand cranks, foot pedals, a bouncy seat, and special gears to twist and turn that will change the course of the circulating golf balls depending on how the user decides to interact with the machine. The machine is designed to illus

Fabrication has begun on a brand new, state-of-the-art ball machine for Zimmer Children’s Museum by Sharewell, which is reopening as The Cayton Children’s Museum in late spring 2019! (#TheCaytonIsComing)! This highly specialized and interactive ball machine titled All Systems Go illustrates and promotes healthy living through exercise, rest, and healthy eating. The interactive components follow the idea that if you exercise and treat your body well, good things happen. Here a

Here are some photos of the Perpetual Nephron Machine at Kidney Week 2018 in San Diego! The rolling ball sculpture measures 14ft high, towering over visitors and creating a memorable booth at the event. Ball machines are great tools for illustrating abstract concepts, such as how a drug works in the human body or other bodily processes. Look back at past updates about Perpetual Nephron Machine: Fabrication Part 1, Fabrication Part 2, Fabrication Part 3, Fabrication Part 4. #c

We've arrived at the final stages of fabrication of the Perpetual Nephron Machine! After these photos were taken, the machine was broken down, carefully packed, and shipped to San Diego to premiere at Kidney Week 2018. Kidney Week is hosted by the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) which leads the fight against kidney diseases by educating health professionals. The Perpetual Nephron Machine is designed to describe the process of uric acid removal in patients with CKD (chron

Perpetual Nephron Machine is really coming together! It has moved out of the fabrication shop and into our clean assembly area after a fresh coat of paint was added to the frame and tracks. Here the electronics team is working on placing the intricate LED lighting and getting the timing of the balls rolling perfectly. Check out past blog posts about the making of Perpetual Nephron Machine here and here! #kidneyweek2018 #joeoconnell #StainlessSteel #perpetualnephronmachine #ro

Here are more behind-the-scenes photos from the making of the Perpetual Nephron Machine! This ball machine illustrates how certain medications work inside the human body. The rolling ball sculpture will make its debut at Kidney Week 2018 in San Diego, California. In these photos, you can see the fabrication team working on both the top and bottom halves of the 14 ft tall sculpture. Also pictured are the beginning stages of the frosted acrylic coming together with the colorful

We recently began construction on a new ball machine for Kidney Week 2018 called The Perpetual Nephron Machine. The ball machine is designed to describe the process of uric acid removal in patients with CKD (chronic kidney disease) and gout. Ball machines can be a great way to illustrate abstract processes that take place inside the human body. Here are some behind-the-scenes photos of the beginning stages of the fabrication of this rolling ball sculpture. Be sure to stay tun

Our newest ball machine, Newton’s Convergence, has just been installed at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA. Here are some photos of the completed machine! Look back at past blog posts on this ball machine and see it come together from start to finish: Blog 1, Blog 2, Blog 3, Blog 4. #joeoconnell #kineticsculpture #StainlessSteel #kineticart #rollingballsculpture #georgerhoads #Exhibits #3dart #ballmachines #Sculpture #InteractiveExhibits #tucson #franklininstitute #

Our newest kinetic ball machine, Newton’s Convergence, is coming together quite nicely! All of the parts and pieces have been painted in bright, bold shades of blue and orange and installed into the frame. The machine is currently in testing to make sure all of the kinetic properties and devices are working without any glitches. Here are some photos of many of the fun details and contraptions that make this rolling ball sculpture tick! It even circulates golf balls for an add

Newton’s Convergence, our new rolling ball sculpture for The Franklin Institute, is really starting to come together into its final form. We had the entire frame powder-coated in a vibrant blue color. Here are some shots of the dual-frame kinetic sculpture coming together right before the colorful devices are attached. Stay tuned for more exclusive photos as this ball machine nears completion! Look back at past updates on this project: HERE and HERE. #joeoconnell #kineticscu

Cathedral Coaster, our newest kinetic ball machine creation, received a fresh powder-coating in vibrant shades of blue, yellow, orange and purple! The machine has made its way to its new home Reims, France and is ready to delight young patients at American Memorial Hospital. Check out past fabrication updates HERE & HERE. #kineticsculpture #StainlessSteel #powdercoatedsteel #kineticart #rollingballsculpture #americanmemorialhospital #Fabrication #georgerhoads #3dart #ballmach

The newest addition to The Franklin Institute’s array of clever, interactive exhibits is underway in our workshop here in sunny Tucson, AZ. This ball machine, Newton’s Convergence, celebrates physics, kinetic energy, and all things Isaac Newton. This rolling ball sculpture features an array of fun devices from loop-de-loops and helixes to hammer-bells and a giant wok, and is filled with jaw-dropping twists and turns! Here are some photos of the kinetic sculpture coming togeth

Our ball machine team has been busy putting together our newest kinetic rolling ball sculpture, Cathedral Coaster, for American Memorial Hospital in Reims, France. The kinetic sculpture will feature a variety of devices, including hammer-bells, loop-de-loops, ball lifters, swinging-birds and spiral helixes. This ball machine will be adorned with hand painted panels of cute animals and will picture a CNC-cut depiction of the famous Reims Cathedral. Be sure to check out the las

We’ve just begun fabrication of a brand new ball machine to be installed in The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, one of the oldest and most beloved science museums in the US. This machine titled Newton’s Convergence will be replacing the popular and well-loved Newton’s Dream ball machine that was installed in the museum in 1990. This new kinetic sculpture will delight thousands of museum visitors of all ages for many years to come. This rolling-ball sculpture will feature

Our Cathedral Coaster Ball Machine is in production! This new rolling ball sculpture was commissioned by American Memorial Hospital, a hospital located in Reims, France that specializes in pediatric medicine. This ball machine celebrates the history of the region with a depiction of Reims Cathedral integrated into the structure among many other whimsical elements. Here are some photos of the first stages of this kinetic ball machine coming together. #workshop #joeoconnell #ki

Incrediball Journey through Stanford Campus is a new Ball Machine Sculpture recently installed in the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital! The balls travel through this custom machine and give viewers the opportunity to experience Stanford Campus in an entirely new way. As visitors watch, the ball travels along the track, passing many of the artistic, academic, historical and memorable places on the campus, reimagined as small ball machine devices and models. We’re very excite

We’ve been working for a few months now on a new ball machine called Incrediball Journey through Stanford Campus. This new ball machine features many new devices as well as site-specific miniatures that reference real buildings and landmarks that can be found throughout Stanford University's beautiful campus. The balls travel through the machine the same way students travel across the campus; as visitors watch, the ball travels past Hoover Tower, the Bing Concert Hall, the St

Adcetris, a ball-machine inspired by the creation of an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) medicine that helps patients battle cancer, has found a new permanent home at Seattle Genetics on Bothell, Washington. This machine was used as an attention-grabbing means to attract doctors to the company’s booth to learn about the journey of the ADC through the bloodstream; its binding with a cell-surface receptor, and how it enters the cell to attack cancer. The machine has been displayed