Subject:
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Build with Legos, be a part of history
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lugnet.mediawatch
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Date:
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Tue, 3 May 2005 19:05:03 GMT
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http://insidebayarea.com/localnews/ci_2701246
Build with Legos, be a part of history
World's biggest Rube Goldberg machine to be constructed at Alameda County fair
By Matt Carter, STAFF WRITER
PLEASANTON — Among the prize-winning pigs and flower arrangements at this
summer's Alameda County Fair, a few exhibitors will be shooting for a world
record.
The fair and a Fremont-based non-profit are sponsoring a contest to build the
world's most complicated Rube Goldberg machine out of Lego building blocks.
Named after the cartoonist Reuben Goldberg, such contraptions are designed to do
something simple — like swatting a fly — in a needlessly elaborate fashion.
For the contest at this summer's fair, the machines can use gears, pulleys,
motors, rubber bands and strings to accept a rolling ball and raise a flag for
five seconds before ejecting the ball.
The trick will be to design the machines so that they can be connected with
others to form the largest Rube Goldberg machine ever built.
Building a "cascadeable" machine — one that can be connected to others — is
actually simpler than it sounds, said Jill Wilker, president of Playing at
Learning, the non-profit organization that's helping organize the event.
cept a rolling ball and raise a flag for five seconds before ejecting the ball.
The trick will be to design the machines so that they can be connected with others to form the largest Rube Goldberg machine ever built.
Building a “cascadeable” machine — one that can be connected to others — is
actually simpler than it sounds, said Jill Wilker, president of Playing at
Learning, the nonprofit organization that’s helping organize the event.
“Lego has a baseplate they are very strict about (it’s dimensions),” Wilker
said. “We’ve defined three entry points on one side of the baseplate, and nine
exit points” for the ball on the remaining sides.
Wilker said organizers may have to build some “transition” machines to carry the
ball from one contraption to another. But she said other Lego groups already
have developed the techniques needed to interconnect many independently built
components to form giant train layouts or “Mars scapes.”
Anyone can enter the contest in four age divisions, and machines that meet the
require ments to interconnect with others will be invited to participate in the
record breaking attempt on Sunday, July 3.
A Rube Goldberg machine is judged by the number of steps it takes to accomplish
its goal.
Students at Manache High School in Porterville hold the record for building a 113step machine out of everyday materials. Now that Wilker has a goahead from the Guinness World Record organization to enter a “community machine” as a challenger, she expects the record will fall. But that could also mean that other groups will be quick to mount similar attempts.
“We’re thinking that by doing this, it will create more general interest in Rube
Goldberg machines,” Wilker said. “We may have to reset (the record) next year
because it may have been broken in between.”
The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest will take place in the Technology Adventures
Building at the 2005 Alameda County Fair.
There is no cost to participate, but entries must be registered by May 14, with judging taking place June 1819. For more information, visit www.AlamedaCountyFair. com or call (925) 426 7611.
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Build with Legos, be a part of history
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| In lugnet.mediawatch, Duane Hess forwarded: (...) Yes - in fact, I think I've seen something similar posted about in this forum ;-). I already know of at least a 12+ step recycling "cascading" machine that will be on display at HoB this weekend in (...) (20 years ago, 3-May-05, to lugnet.mediawatch)
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