Rube Goldberg Machine Contest
Encyclopedia
The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest is a contest that seeks to be "a way of helping students transcend traditional ways of looking at problems", by using a challenge that "must be completed in as creative a way as possible". It is named in honour of Rube Goldberg
's vision of whimsical machines, and is sponsored by the Theta Tau Educational Foundation
with financial support from Lockheed Martin
, Priio, Omega Engineering, Ethicon Endo-Surgery
, BAE Systems
, Rockwell Collins
and Alcoa
. Local contests are held at various universities throughout the United States, and local winners are eligible to compete in the national contest. The national contest is administered by Phi Chapter of Theta Tau
and held at Purdue University
in West Lafayette, Indiana
.
and Triangle
, and it was held annually until 1956. Phi Chapter revived the contest in 1983 as a competition open to all Purdue students. Since 1988, the Theta Tau Rube Machine Contest has been a national competition held at Purdue University in March each year with participation by winning entries from local competitions sponsored by Theta Tau Chapters across the nation. The national contest has gained much coverage by the press and television media. Past winners of the contest have made appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live. The Machine Contest is the subject of the feature documentary Mousetrap to Mars.
The 2007 national contest had the task of juicing an orange into a pitcher and pouring the pitcher into a cup in 20 or more steps. It was won by a team from Ferris State University, located in Big Rapids, MI. The toy-themed machine used 345 steps.
with a meat patty, two vegetable
s and two condiment
s in 20 or more steps.
The winner for 2008 was the Purdue Society of Professional Engineers (PSPE) Rube Goldberg Team from Purdue University. This was their third win in the past four years. The team included 17 members from different fields of engineering
and aviation
and was led by Captain Drew Wischer and by Assistant Captains, Zach Umperovitch and Greg Bauman.
Texas A&M University
took 2nd at the competition and University of Buffalo placed 3rd.
Other teams that competed included Ferris State University
(2007 champions), Big Rapids, Michigan
; Michigan Technological University
, Houghton, Michigan
; Penn State Brandywine
, Media, Pennsylvania
, and the University of Texas at Austin
.
won this competition.
and third went to Pennsylvania State University
.
on March 26, 2011 and had 11 teams in attendance. The 11 teams represented 10 states, 9 universities and 2 community colleges.
The winner of the 2011 contest was the University of Wisconsin-Stout
giving them back to back championships. Second place went to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
from Penn State University and third place went to the Psi Beta Chapter of Theta Tau
Fraternity from The University of Texas.
Jennifer George, Legacy Director of Rube Goldberg, Inc and granddaughter of Rube Goldberg was also in attendance. Ms George also announced the task for the 2012 contest which will be to "Blow Up and Pop a Balloon" with the National Contest being held again at Purdue University
in March
of 2012
The Purdue Society of Professional Engineers, set a new World Record for most steps in a Rube Goldberg Machine
with 244 steps shattering the previous record of 230. The team is currently waiting for confirmation from the Guinness World Records Office.
Rube Goldberg
Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer and inventor.He is best known for a series of popular cartoons depicting complex gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. These devices, now known as Rube Goldberg machines, are similar to...
's vision of whimsical machines, and is sponsored by the Theta Tau Educational Foundation
Theta Tau Educational Foundation
The Theta Tau Executive Council determined that the establishment of the Theta Tau Educational Foundation would enable members of the Fraternity to work together in support of those who have the skills and discipline to create technical marvels; those who are best able to solve complex problems of...
with financial support from Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
, Priio, Omega Engineering, Ethicon Endo-Surgery
Ethicon Endo-Surgery
Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is a company that designs and manufactures medical devices and surgical instruments with the intent of minimizing the invasiveness of surgery....
, BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
, Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins, Inc. is a large United States-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, primarily providing aviation and information technology systems and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers.- History :...
and Alcoa
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
. Local contests are held at various universities throughout the United States, and local winners are eligible to compete in the national contest. The national contest is administered by Phi Chapter of Theta Tau
Theta Tau
ΘΤ Fraternity was founded in 1904 by four engineering students at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. As defined by the fraternity, the purpose of Theta Tau is to develop and maintain a high standard of professional interest among its members, and to unite them in a strong bond of...
and held at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in West Lafayette, Indiana
West Lafayette, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...
.
History
The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest originated at Purdue University in 1949 as a competition between Theta TauTheta Tau
ΘΤ Fraternity was founded in 1904 by four engineering students at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. As defined by the fraternity, the purpose of Theta Tau is to develop and maintain a high standard of professional interest among its members, and to unite them in a strong bond of...
and Triangle
Triangle Fraternity
Triangle Fraternity is a social fraternity, limiting its recruitment of members to male students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the physical, mathematical, biological, and computer sciences...
, and it was held annually until 1956. Phi Chapter revived the contest in 1983 as a competition open to all Purdue students. Since 1988, the Theta Tau Rube Machine Contest has been a national competition held at Purdue University in March each year with participation by winning entries from local competitions sponsored by Theta Tau Chapters across the nation. The national contest has gained much coverage by the press and television media. Past winners of the contest have made appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live. The Machine Contest is the subject of the feature documentary Mousetrap to Mars.
Past Tasks
Past tasks include:- 2011 Water a Plant
- 2010 Dispense an Appropriate Amount of Hand Sanitizer into a Hand
- 2009 Replace an Incandescent Light Bulb with a More Energy Efficient Light Emitting Design
- 2008 Assemble a Hamburger
- 2007 Squeeze the Juice from an Orange
- 2006 Shred 5 Sheets of Paper
- 2005 Change Batteries and Turn on a 2-battery Flashlight
- 2004 Select, Mark and Cast an Election Ballot
- 2003 Select, Crush and Recycle an Empty Soft Drink Can
- 2002 Select, Raise and Wave a U.S. Flag
- 2001 Select, Clean and Peel an Apple
- 2000 Fill and Seal a Time Capsule with 20th Century Inventions
- 1999 Set a Golf Tee and Tee Up a Golf Ball
- 1998 Shut Off An Alarm Clock
- 1997 Insert and Then Play a CD Disc
- 1996 Put Coins in a Bank
- 1995 Turn on a Radio
- 1994 Make Cup of Coffee
- 1993 Screw a Light Bulb into a Socket
- 1992 Unlock a Combination Padlock
- 1991 Toast a Slice of Bread
- 1990 Put the Lid on a Ball Jar
- 1989 Sharpen a Pencil
- 1988 Adhere a Stamp to a Letter
- 1987 Put Toothpaste on a Toothbrush
1989 Contest
The 1989 national contest had the task of sharpening a pencil in more than 25 steps. The first national contest winners were from the School of Technology named Watch-N-Ponder, led by Jeff Cottingham. Their machine had as a theme a Distressed Purdue Student with a Broken Pencil about to take a test. Their machine completed the task in 37 steps which featured a large Panic Button- that started the machine, a Purdue Student, Purdue Pete dominos, Purdue Pete crushing the IU symbol, color changing water, a small truck loading dock, a plotter writing out RUBE GOLDBERG with a pencil, and finally Purdue Pete chopping down a tree which went into a Saw Mill to make a pencil for the Purdue Student. It was described by the Judges as having music, drama, and timely sound effects that made the audience cheer. The team made a video special for Newtons Apple show that year as well as a commercial for the United Way campaign. Kathleen Sullivan and Harry Smith interviewed Jeff Cottingham on Good Morning America, promoting Purdue, Theta Tau, the School of Technology, and the hard work by all the team members. University of Wisconsin and the University of Detroit were the two other competitors that year and finished second and third respectively.1990 Contest
The 1990 national contest had the task of screwing and sealing the lid on a Ball canning jar in 20 or more steps. The National championship team, Team Technology, was from Purdue University and included: Matt Garbarino, Todd Henry, Phil Santos, Dave Kovaleski, Jerri Keller, and Bryan Sower. The theme for Team Technology's machine was "Having a Ball" and took a total of 42 steps to complete the required tasks.2007 Contest
2008 Contest
The 2008 national contest had the task of building a hamburgerHamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
with a meat patty, two vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s and two condiment
Condiment
A condiment is an edible substance, such as sauce or seasoning, added to food to impart a particular flavor, enhance its flavor, or in some cultures, to complement the dish. Many condiments are available packaged in single-serving sachets , like mustard or ketchup, particularly when supplied with...
s in 20 or more steps.
The winner for 2008 was the Purdue Society of Professional Engineers (PSPE) Rube Goldberg Team from Purdue University. This was their third win in the past four years. The team included 17 members from different fields of engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
and was led by Captain Drew Wischer and by Assistant Captains, Zach Umperovitch and Greg Bauman.
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
took 2nd at the competition and University of Buffalo placed 3rd.
Other teams that competed included Ferris State University
Ferris State University
Ferris State University is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1884 as the Big Rapids Industrial School by Woodbridge Nathan Ferris, an educator from New England who later served as governor of the State of Michigan and finally in the US Senate where...
(2007 champions), Big Rapids, Michigan
Big Rapids, Michigan
Big Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,849. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
; Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University is a public research university located in Houghton, Michigan, United States. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake...
, Houghton, Michigan
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
; Penn State Brandywine
Penn State Brandywine
Penn State Brandywine, located in Media, Pennsylvania, is a teaching, learning and research institution for undergraduate education and for lifelong learning with a current enrollment of 1,700 students. The campus has been formerly known as Penn State Delaware County and Penn State Lima. The campus...
, Media, Pennsylvania
Media, Pennsylvania
The borough of Media is the county seat of Delaware County, Pennsylvania and is located west of Philadelphia. Media was incorporated in 1850 at the same time that it was named the county seat. The population was 5,533 at the 2000 census. Its school district is the Rose Tree Media School District...
, and the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
.
2009 Contest
The task for the 2009 contest was to "Replace an Incandescent Light Bulb with a More Energy Efficient Light Emitting Design" The team fielded by St. Olaf CollegeSt. Olaf College
St. Olaf College is a coeducational, residential, four-year, private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after Olaf II of Norway,...
won this competition.
2010 Contest
The task for the 2010 contest was to "dispense an appropriate amount of hand sanitizer into a hand." The winner was a team from the University of Wisconsin–Stout. Second place went to St. Olaf CollegeSt. Olaf College
St. Olaf College is a coeducational, residential, four-year, private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after Olaf II of Norway,...
and third went to Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
.
2011 Contest
The task for the 2011 contest was to "Water a Plant". The National Contest was held at Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
on March 26, 2011 and had 11 teams in attendance. The 11 teams represented 10 states, 9 universities and 2 community colleges.
The winner of the 2011 contest was the University of Wisconsin-Stout
University of Wisconsin-Stout
The University of Wisconsin–Stout is a member campus of the University of Wisconsin System. The school was founded in 1891 in Menomonie, Wisconsin and enrolls more than 9,300 students...
giving them back to back championships. Second place went to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
from Penn State University and third place went to the Psi Beta Chapter of Theta Tau
Theta Tau
ΘΤ Fraternity was founded in 1904 by four engineering students at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. As defined by the fraternity, the purpose of Theta Tau is to develop and maintain a high standard of professional interest among its members, and to unite them in a strong bond of...
Fraternity from The University of Texas.
Jennifer George, Legacy Director of Rube Goldberg, Inc and granddaughter of Rube Goldberg was also in attendance. Ms George also announced the task for the 2012 contest which will be to "Blow Up and Pop a Balloon" with the National Contest being held again at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in March
March
March is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....
of 2012
The Purdue Society of Professional Engineers, set a new World Record for most steps in a Rube Goldberg Machine
Rube Goldberg machine
A Rube Goldberg machine, contraption, device, or apparatus is a deliberately over-engineered or overdone machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction...
with 244 steps shattering the previous record of 230. The team is currently waiting for confirmation from the Guinness World Records Office.