About the Merry-Go-Round
At MIT’s East Campus, building large forts, roller coasters, and other contraptions for REX, the first week of school and orientation, is a tradition. For the 2026 project, I was a build lead and worked with the team to design and build a double-decker merry-go-round for our biggest dorm party.
I designed the structure to support several thousand pounds, and it held about 1,200 pounds in operation. We enclosed the ride with netting to keep people inside and make it possible to climb to the upper level, where people could sit and relax.
Building the bearing
I made a custom bearing assembly for the merry-go-round using both manual and CNC machining. The central bearing was supported by 16 outer roller bearings distributed underneath the circular base. This let the base support riders’ weight wherever they stood on it. The rest of the build involved a lot of woodworking, fabrication, and construction to put the full structure together.
This was a fun project and a good lesson in managing a large build. I learned how important it is to explain engineering details clearly when coordinating work and delegating tasks.
See it in action
Design & Build
Additional design and construction views from the project.
