At De Ontdekfabriek in Eindhoven, that is exactly what happens. As a sponsor, we helped create an installation where children can discover for themselves what air caster technology does: a heavy crate filled with children that suddenly starts to float.
The experience: feeling what air can do
On a platform stands a wooden crate. At first glance, nothing special. But the crate is too heavy to move.
With a small amount of air underneath, everything changes. What first felt heavy and immovable suddenly glides smoothly across the floor. No force. No wheels. Just air.
That moment – from “this is impossible” to “wait, this actually works” – is exactly what it is about.
From playing to understanding
Next to the installation, an animation shows step by step what happens underneath the crate. No complex theory, just clear and visual:
- air is blown underneath the crate
- a thin air film is created
- friction almost disappears
- heavy loads become easy to move
This makes a physical principle suddenly tangible. Curious what it looks like? Watch the video below.
Why this works
Technology only becomes interesting when you can see and feel it. Especially for children.
De Ontdekfabriek fits perfectly with that idea. In a former Philips factory, children discover how things work by doing. Building, testing, adjusting. Just like in real life.
And our air casters fit right into that picture: simple to use, based on a smart principle.
Link to ‘The Inventors of Dream City’
The installation is not standalone. At De Ontdekfabriek, everything revolves around imagination and building the future, as in the book De Uitvinders van Droomstad.
Children are challenged to design and build their own city, while discovering technologies that are also used in the real world.
Maybe it starts with a floating crate. Maybe it ends with their own invention.
For us, this is what technology is about. Not just explaining, but letting people experience it.
