Scoring
# 1: Rube Goldberg machines use at least 5 steps in chain reaction to accomplish a simple task in a very complicated manner. Students work in teams of 3-4 to win the competition of having the most steps. Only the winning team gets 25 points for the most steps. All members of the winning team get a laser engraving. Oh by the way, using dominos counts as one step.
#2: Each team gets a board to screw and tape their machine so it does not move. All boards fit together like the property on a monopoly game. A black line connects all the boards for a TANK to follow. The tank drives through all the boards and sets them off one machine after the other. Your machines must wait until it senses the tank which is following the line. You may use ultrasonic, light, or touch sensors to sense the tank’s arrival. However, the machine cannot be triggered by hand. Essentially, dominos cannot topple, marbles cannot roll, swing can’t swing, zip lines can’t zip, conveyor belts can’t convey, chemical reactants can’t react, and catapults can’t shoot until the tank drives on your board. You cannot stop the tank by blocking its path. Keep the path clear so the tank can drive through your board and on to the next. It is easy to forget and start building in the path, so assign one person on your team to monitor the path. Use a practice tank to test if the path has room. If your machine stops the tank during the test run then you will have to move things around. This is worth 25 points.
#3 You must have at least two motors move in a chain reaction for 25 points. Each motor is triggered by its own sensor.
#4 You must turn a page in a textbook using clothes pins. Do not tape or rip pages. This is worth 25 points.
#5 Your machine must move your team logo and name laser engraved on wood. The team captain decides who gets to keep the laser engraved wood. However the winning team with the most steps gets engraving for all members. To move your laser engraving is worth 25 points.
#6 Finally, for 25 points you must use at least one of the following items. Edison, robotic arm, cnc plotter, mousetrap car, Drone, or EV3 w/original code.
Edison: You will NOT code the Edison. The Edison is pre-programed to reverse (backup) for a second when the infrared senses an object like the tank. The Edison can also move if your machine pushed a button on a remote.
Robotic Arm: You will need to code the robotic arm using Mindstorm and motor control or code it in seconds. You should reverse the code for establishing its starting position. A sensor is connected and coded with a Wait Block, to sense the tank.
CNC Plotter: The CNC plotter (used in the Move a Tire Challenge) can be used in the same way as the robotic arm described above. A sensor is connected and coded with a Wait Block, to sense the tank.
Mousetrap car: The mousetrap car is NOT coded, but must be geared to spread out the spring’s force. It cannot be allowed to snap. But take caution and never leave your fingers where it could snap. If I hear it snap then I will take it. Only the best behaved students are allowed to use mousetrap cars. It can be used as a car or reel.
Drone: The drone is a fan on stick suspended by a string. It uses an ultrasonic sensor to sense the tank and then spins about. It comes pre-programed. It must be gear for speed.
EV3: The Ev3 options require you to create original code using multiple sensors and motors.
# 1: Rube Goldberg machines use at least 5 steps in chain reaction to accomplish a simple task in a very complicated manner. Students work in teams of 3-4 to win the competition of having the most steps. Only the winning team gets 25 points for the most steps. All members of the winning team get a laser engraving. Oh by the way, using dominos counts as one step.
#2: Each team gets a board to screw and tape their machine so it does not move. All boards fit together like the property on a monopoly game. A black line connects all the boards for a TANK to follow. The tank drives through all the boards and sets them off one machine after the other. Your machines must wait until it senses the tank which is following the line. You may use ultrasonic, light, or touch sensors to sense the tank’s arrival. However, the machine cannot be triggered by hand. Essentially, dominos cannot topple, marbles cannot roll, swing can’t swing, zip lines can’t zip, conveyor belts can’t convey, chemical reactants can’t react, and catapults can’t shoot until the tank drives on your board. You cannot stop the tank by blocking its path. Keep the path clear so the tank can drive through your board and on to the next. It is easy to forget and start building in the path, so assign one person on your team to monitor the path. Use a practice tank to test if the path has room. If your machine stops the tank during the test run then you will have to move things around. This is worth 25 points.
#3 You must have at least two motors move in a chain reaction for 25 points. Each motor is triggered by its own sensor.
#4 You must turn a page in a textbook using clothes pins. Do not tape or rip pages. This is worth 25 points.
#5 Your machine must move your team logo and name laser engraved on wood. The team captain decides who gets to keep the laser engraved wood. However the winning team with the most steps gets engraving for all members. To move your laser engraving is worth 25 points.
#6 Finally, for 25 points you must use at least one of the following items. Edison, robotic arm, cnc plotter, mousetrap car, Drone, or EV3 w/original code.
Edison: You will NOT code the Edison. The Edison is pre-programed to reverse (backup) for a second when the infrared senses an object like the tank. The Edison can also move if your machine pushed a button on a remote.
Robotic Arm: You will need to code the robotic arm using Mindstorm and motor control or code it in seconds. You should reverse the code for establishing its starting position. A sensor is connected and coded with a Wait Block, to sense the tank.
CNC Plotter: The CNC plotter (used in the Move a Tire Challenge) can be used in the same way as the robotic arm described above. A sensor is connected and coded with a Wait Block, to sense the tank.
Mousetrap car: The mousetrap car is NOT coded, but must be geared to spread out the spring’s force. It cannot be allowed to snap. But take caution and never leave your fingers where it could snap. If I hear it snap then I will take it. Only the best behaved students are allowed to use mousetrap cars. It can be used as a car or reel.
Drone: The drone is a fan on stick suspended by a string. It uses an ultrasonic sensor to sense the tank and then spins about. It comes pre-programed. It must be gear for speed.
EV3: The Ev3 options require you to create original code using multiple sensors and motors.
Toothbrush-bots
mouse trap cars
Cinch Loop for added friction-->
Zip Line
