2012 Rube Goldberg Olympics 2

Preamble:

This report is designed to evaluate and depict the design and construction of our Rube Goldberg machine. This

report will explain the design process our group took, and will also examine alternatives we considered. It will also

report on the constraints we encountered and how we over came these constraints. The point of a Rube Goldberg

machine is to have a simple task in mind and use very indirect and complex tasks to accomplish the task.

The theme of our project is based on the 2012 Summer Olympics hosted in London United Kingdom. The primary

task with this theme was to start this machine was to light the Olympic torch. Our sub tasks that we were to achieve

were allowed to occur in any order our group chose was a cyclist, Vault over a bar in the Olympic sport of pole

vaulting, a diver dives off of a high board into a pool, a weightlifter than lifts a barbell, a row boat covers a 30cm

lake, a soccer ball rolls into a net, a hurdler jumps three consecutive hurdles, a hang glider glides 6 feet, a swimmer

swims for gold, a golfer sinks a hole in one, a discus thrower completes one full rotation before releasing a discuss

20cm, and the action ends with Canada receiving a gold metal, the Canadian national anthem and the raising of the

Canadian flag.

Our group decided to construct our machine in a half open rectangular wood box. The majority of our machine was

constructed from 2x4, 2x6 and plywood. We have incorporated many unique features, for example, a fan pushes a

canoe across a body of water. Also we have incorporated a device that raises the arms of a wooden man from the

vertical displacement of weight. Our groups machine is like non-other because of the rectangular box we constructed

from plywood and 2x4’s.

According to our assignment outlines we were given a budget of $120.00 we spent $114.40, our expenses are very

high only because we did not have many things we could use around. The lack of usable materials was because three

of our group members are from out of town. The estimated cost of materials we used but did not have to purchased

would have been …. . The cost is so high because we obtained all of our wood from a group member’s house and

did not have to pay for it. This means the total cost of our machine came out to be …. .

(Blurb about reset time and probability of working)

Therefore, our group’s Rube Goldberg machine met all requirements outlined on the assignment sheet. To design

and build our machine we used brainstorming combined with trial and error to refine original design ideas. With

large scale projects like this particular one our group ran into a few problems during our building process…. .

Table Of Contents:

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Background

3.0 Project Outline

3.1 Tasks

3.2 Constraints

3.4 Objectives

3.5 Primary Materials

3.6 Unique Features

4.0 Design Alternatives

4.2 Starting out

4.2 Starting Action: The lighting of the Olympic torch

4.2.1 Starting Action: The lighting of the Olympic torch Alternative Design

4.3 Sub-Task Number One: A Cyclist Travels Down a 50cm incline

4.3.1 Sub-Task Number One: A Cyclist Travels Down a 50cm incline Alternative design 1



4.4 Sub-Task Number Two: Vault Over a Bar in Pole Vaulting

4.5 Sub-Task Number three a Diver Dives off of a High Board into a Pool

4.5.1 Sub-Task Number three a Diver Dives off of a High Board into a Pool Design Alternative 1

4.5.2 Sub-Task Number three a Diver Dives off of a High Board into a Pool Design Alternative 2

4.6 Sub-Task Number Four a Weightlifter than Lifts a Barbell

4.6.1 Sub-Task Number four a Weightlifter than Lifts a Barbell Design Alternative 1

4.6.2 Sub-Task Number four a Weightlifter than Lifts a Barbell Design Alternative 2

4.7 Sub-Task Number Five a Row Boat Covers a 50cm Lake

4.8 Sub-Task Number Six a Goal is scored in Football

4.9 Sub-Task Number Seven a Hurdler has to Clear Three Hurdles

4.9.1 Sub-Task Number Seven a Hurdler has to Clear Three Hurdles Design Alternative 1

4.9.2 Sub-Task Number Seven a Hurdler has to Clear Three Hurdles Design Alternative 2

4.10 Sub-Task Number Eight The Hang Glider

4.10 Sub-Task Number Nine a Swimmer Swims a Lap of a Pool

4.11 Sub-Task Number Ten a Golfer Sinks a Hole-in-one

4.12 Sub-Task Number Eleven a Discus Thrower Completes One Full Rotation Before Releasing a Discuss 20cm

4.12.1 Sub-Task Number Eleven a Discus Thrower Completes One Full Rotation Before Releasing a Discuss

20cm Design Alternative 1

4.12.2 Sub-Task Number Eleven a Discus Thrower Completes One Full Rotation Before Releasing a Discuss

20cm Design Alternative 2

4.13 Ending Action, Canada Receives a Gold Metal While National Anthem Plays and the Canadian Flag is Being

Risen

5.0 Design Specifications

5.1 Machine Overview

5.2 Starting Action: The lighting of the Olympic torch:

5.3 Sub-Task Number One: A Cyclist Travels Down a 4 foot incline

5.4 Sub-Task Number Two Vault Over a Bar in Pole Vaulting










Risen

6.0 Design Procedures

7.0 Budget

7.1 Machine Costs

7.2 Labour Costs

8.0 Results and Discussions

9.0 Conclusions and Recommendations

9.1 Conclusions

9.2 Recommendations

List of Figures

Table 1.1 Pairwise Comparison Chart (PCC) Rube Goldberg Machine

Table 1.2 Morphological Chart Expresses these Functions and Means.

Table 1.3 Expense list for Materials Purchased

Table 1.4 Expense list for Materials that were not purchased

Table 1.5 Labour Costs

1.0 Introduction:

To accomplish our 2012 Summer Olympic themed Rube Goldberg machine our starting task obviously had to

incorporate the opening ceremonies and more specifically the lighting of the Olympic torch, and ultimately had to

end with the receiving with a metal ceremony and raising the Canadian flag while the Canadian national anthem.

Our machine utilizes the strength from wood; we felt that we had enough time to construct most of our machine out

of wood. We have also utilized other materials such as aluminum, plastic, and children’s toys. Every step in our

group’s machine is achieved uniquely, not one sub task incorporates the same general design. We have

accomplished all tasks and sub-tasks, time restraints, budget restraints, and machine specifications.

We had to This report will outline our design process; it will clearly explain how we determined the order in which

our sub-task were completed. The report will also depict constraints that altered the design of our machine; these

constraints consisted of achieving a minimum time of 90 seconds to complete our actions and could not exceed 120

seconds, each task had to achieve a minimum time of 10 seconds but not exceed 15 seconds. Also, our machine

could not exceed 8 feet (L) x 4 feet (W) x 8 feet (H) and we had a budget of $120.00. Also, this report will show the

reader the design alternatives our group considered and outline our budget and expenses as well as our conclusions.

2.0 Background:

Rube Goldberg was an American inventor and cartoonist; he graduated from Berkley (University of California) with

a degree in Engineering (rubegoldberg.com). Goldberg was a Pulitzer prizewinner cartoonist for his extravagant

cartoons. Not only was Goldberg draw cartoons he designed and built very complicated machines that accomplished

a very simple task (rubegoldberg.com). A Rube Goldberg machine “ is a complex device that accomplishes one or

more simple tasks in a controlled, convoluted, and often humorous manner” (University Or Regina project outline).

3.0 Project Outline:

3.1 Tasks:

In the project outline we were given our group was to design and build a Rube Goldberg machine themed after the

upcoming 2012 summer Olympics. We were given two primary tasks and six sub-tasks.

The Primary tasks consisted of:

•Starting action- Light the Olympic torch

•Ending Action- Canada receives a gold metal while the Canadian national anthem is playing and the National flag

rises.

Given Sub-Tasks consisted of:

•Vault over a bar in pole vault

•A diver dives off a high board into a pool

•A weightlifter lifts a huge barbell

•Score a goal in soccer (football)

•A runner must jump at least 3 hurdles

•Throw a discus at least 20cm with the thrower revolving at least once before releasing it

Sub-Tasks our group made up:

• Cyclist

• Rower rows 50cm

• Hang Glider travels 6 feet

• A Swimmer swims ______

• A Golfer makes a hole in one

3.2 Constraints:

As outlined above in the introduction our group had to work around the constraints outlined in the project outline

sheet. These constraints restricted the size, time, and expenses. The size of our machine could not exceed 8 feet (L)

x 4 feet (W) x 8 feet (H), and had to be a freestanding structure. The machine also had a minimum time of 90

seconds to complete the action and could not exceed 120 seconds, each task had to achieve a minimum time of 10

seconds but not exceed 15 seconds. The machine must also have at least 10 steps. The budget for this particular

machine was set at $120.00. Hazardous materials/methods cannot be used without permission. Run Time, Number

of Iterations, Re-set Time, and Repeatability must be reported. All tasks must be completed in a distinct and

sequential fashion. Parallel routes are allowed but tasks may not be executed simultaneously. The Primary Task

must be completed last.

3.4 Objectives:

Our groups’ main objective was to keep the design and construction relatively simple but at the same time attempt to

make our machine unique. Our group attempted to make repeatability an important objective when building our

machine. We learnt that repeatability is achieved when building on a larger scale. We also tried to minimize re-set

time by designing our machine to have maximizing simple components. We tried to keep expenses down but did not

achieve this particular objective because three members of our group are from out of province; although our group

did manage to stay under the budget set by the instructors. Our group decided to construct the structure from wood;

we decided that wood was the strongest material that was realistic.

3.5 Primary Materials:

The majority of our machine is constructed from 2x4s, 2x6s, and plywood. The 2x4s serve as the skeletal structure

for the two walls and the floor. The plywood is used for the sheeting on the two walls and floor. 2x4s were also used

for the stands for the soccer ball track. The 2x6s were used for many odd items for example the stand for the

weightlifter and fan. Our group also incorporated aluminum from household eaves troughs; these aluminum eaves

were used to create a track for a miniature soccer ball to roll down. Also, to push our small boat across the body of

water our group acquired a small fan that is switched on using a household switch. We have also incorporated toys

into our machine all of our athletes are small toy soldiers, during our first sub-task a cyclist cycles down a plastic

Hot-Wheels track. String was also another important material that we utilized to pull the pole-vaulter over the pole

and to raise our soccer ball 2 feet. To allow the soccer ball to be pulled up from base level we used a pulley, the

pulley allowed for a very smooth upward motion.

3.6 Unique Features:

Our group has incorporated fire in our machine; our starting action is the lighting of the Olympic torch. We used a

product called Magic Flame, which is a less violent volatile. Another very unique feature of our machine is that it is

built in a wooden box we specially made for this machine. We have incorporated carrying handles into the box

itself. Also, our fan that pushes our boat across a body of water is another very unique feature specific to this Rube

Goldberg Machine. We have also used a lot of actions with idea of one object falling, which allows for another

object to be raised. Therefore we have incorporated water, fire, the forces of gravity, and electricity to accomplish

ending task; Canada receiving a gold metal, the playing of the national anthem and the Canadian flag being risen.

4.0 Design Alternatives:

4.2 Starting out:

Our group encountered many challenges and problems in the design process and in the actual constructing of our

machine. Our first meeting we decided that we were going to build a structure to build our machine in, we thought

that this would give us a nice strong building surface. At first we were not sure how we were going to build our box,

at first we thought we would try and join plywood together, but after thinking about it the structure would end up

being very weak. Our final structure was built like a wall on a house would be built with joints, this design gave us

the most strength from the wood.


4.2.1 Starting Action: The lighting of the Olympic torch Alternative Design:

The initial design our group came up with for the lighting of the Olympic torch was not very different from our final

product. The only difference is the volatile we used, initially we thought we would use gasoline or diesel, but

decided the burn was to quick. We always had a string that was attached to a fix point and then would be severed by

the flame and release the first sub-task of our machine. We choose to use a product called Magic Flame because it is

a less sudden and slower burn, therefore making this primary task safer for our group and minimize a fire on our

wood structure.

4.3 Sub-Task Number One: A Cyclist Travels Down a 50cm incline

4.3.1 Sub-Task Number One: A Cyclist Travels Down a 50cm incline Alternative design 1:

This sub-task is a task our group decided to use because we needed to accomplish ten tasks in total. This sub-task at

first was going to be constructed from two separate rods that would have about 2-4 inches between them; this was

going to act as a track. The bicycle was going to be a rod that runs perpendicular to the two rods and in the middle of

the single rod a wheel was going to be attached. Obviously this is not a direct representation of how a bicycle

operates but our design fit our needs perfectly. The problem with this initial design is that we were not able to find

the metal rods we had in mind, and therefore came up with an alternative design.


Our second design consisted of a Hot Wheels track and a Hot-wheels cyclist. Attached to the cyclist was a sharp

blade and once it reached the end of the track the blade severed a piece of twine that connected the next sub-task.

The problem with this was re-set time was long, because every time the twine was cut a new piece of twine would

have to attached to the athlete and then tied to the hanger. Not only is re-set time problematic so is repeatability

because it was sometimes difficult to cut the piece of twine.


Our final design still incorporated the Hot Wheels track, but instead of having to cut the twine every time our group

used a close pin. At the end of the track a close pin was attached to the wall, once the cyclist hit the close pin, it

released a piece of twine that sent the pole-vaulter over the vault. This design alternative allowed for a quicker re-set

time, and as well as a repeatability. Therefore when we went shopping we came upon a Hot Wheels track that fit our

needs perfectly. The Hot Wheels track and cyclist was only $3.93, which was a very good buy.

4.4 Sub-Task Number Two: V ault Over a Bar in Pole Vaulting

This sub-task does not have any alternative designs. During our design meetings we never actually considered or

came up with any other idea for the pole-vaulting task. We used a very simple design; once the tension is broken in

the string the weight attached to the athlete would pull the athlete over the pole. We stuck with this design because

re-set time was very short and repeatability was very high.


4.5.1 Sub-Task Number three a Diver Dives off of a High Board into a Pool Design Alternative 1:

Our group’s first design used 2x6 that was drilled with a ½” bit in the middle of the 2x6 then a ½”x48 dowel was

inserted which provided a hinge. Once the weight hit the back of the diving board the athlete was shot into the tub of

water. The back of the diving board then made the platform filled with water pour into another container full of

water. Once the water from the pool poured into the last container, its platform descended setting off of sub-task 6.

The last platform descended gradually because of resistance from household drawer slides and exercise

rehabilitation bands. The problem with this initial design was that it never worked for our group, so parts would but

other would not.

4.5.2 Sub-Task Number three a Diver Dives off of a High Board into a Pool Design Alternative 2:

Our final design is much more simple, re-set and repeatability is minimized drastically. This sub-task is set off by

the cyclist, unfortunately we have two sub-task happening at the same time. The twine that is released in sub-task

number one is attached to the pole-vaulter and the diving board acts as the weight. Once the tension in the twine is

released, on hinges, the diving board falls. On the diving board water balloons sit, once the diving board falls the

balloons role into a bucket with pins and the balloons will then burst. The platform the water container is sitting on

descends, and lifts the weightlifters arms up.


4.6.1 Sub-Task Number four a Weightlifter than Lifts a Barbell Design Alternative 1:

Our group’s first design for the weightlifter did not differ from the finished product; at first we designed our athlete

to be made from cloth. Once the last platform descended the weightlifters arm would be lifted and would then hit a

switch activating an electronic fan. The problem with this initial design is that a cloth made weightlifter is that we

were not able to construct a skeletal structure.

4.6.1 Sub-Task Number Four a Weightlifter than Lifts a Barbell Design Alternative 2:

In our final design, the weightlifter was constructed from ¾”x36 square dowel. The joints were constructed from a

nut, washer and bolt system, this system allows for a smooth action. The barbell was made from ½” dowel with two

pie plates acting as metal weights. Once the last platform from sub-task four descends the weightlifters arm would

be lifted and would then hit a switch activating an electronic fan. The advantage of this design is that the

repeatability is high, and there is hardly any re-set time.


We did not have any design alternatives for this sub-task; it was a very strait forward design. Our group new that we

were going to propel the boat using a fan, acquiring the fan was the hardest part of this specific sub-task. Once the

switch has been switched on the fan pushes the boat across a fish tank. The boat has been fixed with an aluminum

pie plate this gives a large surface area for the wind to push the toy boat across the fish tank. The aluminum mast is

balanced and does not push the boat off course. We choose to use this design because there was next to none re-set

time, all we had to do was push the boat back to the starting area. Repeatability is also very high because of the mast

design.


This sub-task does not have a design alternative, our group only considered one possible design. The soccer ball

starts at an elevation of 1 ½ feet from the bottom of our base structure. Once the boat reaches the end of its

designated route it knocks a string that allows the container holding the ball to be elevated to the elevation of the

beginning of the track. The ball then starts it’s journey down the track winding and twisting until it reaches the

football net. The re-set time is very minimal and only requires a person to pull down the container the ball sits in and

place the ball into the container. The repeatability is also very high and scores an 80% chance of success.


4.9.1 Sub-Task Number Seven a Hurdler has to Clear Three Hurdles Design Alternative 1:

The first design of the hurdles consisted of three consecutive moose traps. Once the football from our previous step

triggered the next step an object would fall onto one mousetrap, which would send the athlete onto the next moose

trap and would then trigger the mousetraps consecutively. The problem with this initial design is that we were never

able to get the athlete to land in the same spot every test, and could not manage to get one run that was not

problematic. Also, re-set time took way to long because we had to re-set the traps every time they went off.

4.9.2 Sub-Task Number Seven a Hurdler has to Clear Three Hurdles Design Alternative 2:

The second and final design consisted of a structure built with four 6-inch stands that is connected with a ____ ____

on both sides. In the middle of the two pieces of metal is a cylindrical dowel that is the width of the two metal

pieces. Attached to the dowel is a piece of fishing line that runs to the farthest leftward wall through a pulley, on the

other side of the line is a bag of rocks. The triggering mechanism is released by a ball dropping onto a fabric net

which then releases an adjustable plier which had gripped the cylinder. Once the action is released the rocks pull the

cylinder over the simulated hurdles. This design was implemented because re-set time was relatively minimal and

repeatability was 100%.


Our group never considered any design alternatives with this specific sub-task. The hang glider sub-task is another

task our group used to transition from sub-task number seven to sub-task number nine. This sub task is released once

the rock weights from the pervious sub-task drops. The hang glider, travels down a 6 foot long track and drops an

elevation of about 2 feet. We decided to use this transitional sub-task because re-set time is relatively minimal, all

that needs to be done is to pull the hang glider back up to the starting point. Repeatability is very high because the

track and the hang gliders hands have been lubricated with WD-40.

4.10 Sub-Task Number Nine a Swimmer Swims a Lap of a Pool:

The swimmer sub-task had only one design; the purpose of this sub-task is to bring our action back closer to our

final task. When the hang glider reaches it’s finishing position the hang gliders feet knocks a golf ball onto a track,

which in turn winds through another eaves trough track. The golf ball simulates the swimmer. We decided to use

this sub-task because there is hardly any re-set time, and repeatability is a 100% every time.

4.11 Sub-Task Number Ten a Golfer Sinks a Hole-in-one:

This sub-task was created to actually be our discuss task, but we came up with a better alternative design. This sub-

task is very unique in the sense that it uses a mousetrap to release a ball into an oil-funnel; the ball then completes

10-15 rotations until it comes out of the bottom. The golf ball traveling very fast, from the previous task, spins a toy

water wheel that is attached to the triggering mechanism of the mousetrap. The only problem with this sub-task is

re-set time is a bit lengthy about 30-45 seconds because the mousetraps triggering mechanism has to be re-set trial.

Repeatability on the other hand is very high, and boosts a score of 90%.


4.12.1 Sub-Task Number Eleven a Discus Thrower Completes One Full Rotation Before Releasing a Discuss 20cm

Design Alternative 1:

At first sub-task number ten was supposed to be used as the discuss sub-task, it fit our needs, but our group wanted

to design a contraption that better resembles an actual discuss. The first design incorporated an oil-funnel and a

mousetrap. The mousetrap was secured to the oil funnel and once the golf ball from sub-task nine spun the toy wheel

the mousetrap was released firing the ball into a circular motion.

4.12.2 Sub-Task Number Eleven a Discus Thrower Completes One Full Rotation Before Releasing a Discuss 20cm

Design Alternative 2:

Our final design incorporates a coiled wire, we then used a 6 inch stick that would then rotate down the coiled wire

mimicking the rotations a discuss thrower would perform. To support the wire we used a 1 ½ foot 1x6 to over hang.

We drilled a small hole close to the edge of the over hanging 1x6 and then fed the coiled wire through the hole. The

coiled wire does not have much mass and did not require that much support. Once the ball from the golf subtask

falls down the end of the funnel it travels down a foot long piece of PVC piping. On the edge of the PVC piping is

the stick once the ball comes into contact with the stick, the stick is released and then travels down the 20 cm long

coiled track. Re-set time is pretty high because the stick needs to be coiled back to the starting position.

Repeatability on the other hand is very high because the coiled wire was lubricated with WD-40.


Risen

5.0 Design Specifications

5.1 Machine Overview

Our machines theme is the 2012 Summer Olympics; we have a starting action, ending action, and eleven different

sub-tasks. Our groups machine measures 8 feet long by, 4 feet high by, 4 feet wide. Our total running time is about

___ seconds long and the re-set time is about ___ seconds long. The average repeatability expressed as a percentage

is ___.


Every Olympics, the games start with an opening ceremony, the biggest part of the opening ceremony is the lighting

of the Olympic torch. Our group has tried to take the general principles behind the opening ceremonies and

incorporate them into our Rube Goldberg machine. A 2-foot string that is dipped in gasoline is lit on fire. The string

winds up to the simulated Olympic torch and lights a volatile used to keep buffet food warm. The torch container is

resting on a platform 4 feet above base level. This design was based on previous Olympic opening ceremonies. A

string rests over top of the simulated Olympic torch, and once the flame has burnt through the string the first sub

task is released.

5 .3 Sub-Task Number One: A Cyclist Travels Down a 4 foot incline

Cycling is one of the more popular Olympic sports in the games; we wanted to incorporate this specific sport in the

games due to the popularity. Once the Olympic torch has burnt through the string that keeps the cyclist at the

starting line, the cyclist speeds down the 4-foot long track towards the finish line. The cyclist starts at an elevation of

4-feet from the base and ends up at 3 ½ feet from the base. Once the cyclist reaches the finish line the cyclist

releases the second sub-task. The cyclist releases the second sub-task by hitting a clothespin; a piece of twine is

fastened inside of the clothespin.

5.4 Sub-Task Number Two V ault Over a Bar in Pole Vaulting

Pole-vaulting is one of the most physically demanding sports in the games. Our design is simple it, Newton’s third

law can explain this sub-task; “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”(). This holds true once the

tension is released in the twine, when the cyclist hits the clothespin, the weight pulls the athlete over the pole vault.

The weight that pulls the pole-vaulter over is actually the diving bored in sub-task number three. To get a smooth

pulling action our group drilled a screw a foot above the diving bored and wove the twine above it. This is the only

sub-task where we have two sub-tasks being achieved at the same time. We tried to steer clear from this problem but

could not because of the nature of our design; we did not want to abandon something that works 100%. The pole-

vaulter starts at an elevation of 3 ½ feet above the base and covers a horizontal distance of 1 foot. The actual pole is

only 2 inches tall.


The diving board is made from an 8 inch long 2x6 that is connected to a 3 ½ inch wooden stand by a household door

hinge. Once the tension in the twine is released from the action in sub-task number one the weight from the diving

board falls into a platform with a container. The platform the container sits on is 10 inches tall and ___ inches wide;

the container is a large___ L water container. Also, on the four corners there are draw sliders that allow the platform

to be raised and lowered, and for extra resistance we added exercise bands that help with a gradual and slow decent.

On top of the diving board rests six small water balloons once the water balloons fall into the container they break

because pins are secured to the bottom of the container. Once the water is in the container the weight lowers the

platform slowly, this raises the action for the next sub-task. Although our dive is not as majestic as the real deal we

have incorporated some key physics principles in our design.


Our weightlifter is very unique, one of our group members constructed the weightlifter from ¾”x36 square dowel.

The hinges of the weightlifter are constructed from a bolt and washer combination, this combination reduces friction

resulting in a smooth upright motion. To make sure that the upward motion from the descending platform in sub-

task three is smooth we have drilled a screw into the wall. We faced a problem with the movement with the barbell

in the weightlifters hands and ended up using zip ties because they reduced to friction between the hands and the

barbell. The barbell was made from a ½x4” circular towel with two pie plates on either side. We did not use twine

for this sub-task we used fishing line, fishing line reduces friction. The barbell turns the fan on by switching a switch

to the on position when it is completely extended.


Once the barbell has been extended the bar switches a household light switch to the on position. The switch

completes the circuit and turns on a 100v fan. This sub-task incorporates a ___tall by ___height by ___ width, fish

tank. We have also used a children’s toy boat that is 4 inches in length. The boat has been fixed with an aluminum

pie plate this gives a large surface area for the wind to push the toy boat across the fish tank. The aluminum mast is

balanced and does not push the boat off course.


Football is one of the most exciting sports in the summer Olympics because of the strong culture that surrounds it.

We built our football track from eaves trough. Our track starts at an elevation of 4 feet above the base, but before it

reaches the top the ball is raised to this elevation using a elevator. The elevator is half a foot of eaves trough and is

connected at four corners with fishing line which meet at a central point. We then tied four feet of fishing line onto

the central point, and tied a weight to the other end. The line was threaded through a pulley to make sure the upward

motion is smooth. The mechanism that releases the elevator is manufactured from a sharpie lid and fishing line. To

set the mechanism up we tied the sharpie lid apparatus to the elevator and loosely put a weight around the lids clip.

When the boat from sub-task five hits the sharpie lid the weight is released sending the elevator up. The track is ___

feet long and ends at an elevation of _____ feet.


This subtask consisted of a structure built with four 6-inch stands that is connected with a ____ ____ on both sides.

In the middle of the two pieces of metal is a cylindrical dowel that is the width of the two metal pieces. Attached to

the dowel is a piece of fishing line that runs to the farthest leftward wall through a pulley, on the other side of the

line is a bag of rocks. The triggering mechanism is released by a ball dropping onto a fabric net which then releases

an adjustable plier, which grippes the cylinder. Once the cylinder is released the fishing line gets rolled up. In the

middle of the cylindrical dowel is a toy man that resembles a hurdler. On the ground are two-inch high hurdles,

which are constructed from 5/16” dowel.


This sub task is released once the rock weights from the pervious sub-task drops. The rocks from the hurdles fall

onto a clothespin and release a piece of fishing line that is connected to the hang glider. Once the fishing line is

released the hang glider slides down the track with ease. The hang glider, travels down a 6-foot long track and drops

an elevation of about 2 feet. The track is made from fishing line, and there is a 3-inch gap between the two parallel

lines. The hang glider is a toy soldier we attached rings to both hands and fed the rings through the fishing line. We

weighted the hang glider with a rock to make sure he would travel down smoothly. We also used WD-40 to lubricate

the rings and the fishing line.


This sub-task is very unique in the sense that it uses a mousetrap to release a ball into an oil-funnel; the ball then

completes 10-15 rotations until it comes out of the bottom. The golf ball traveling very fast, from the previous task,

spins a toy water wheel that is attached to the triggering mechanism of the mousetrap. Once the small marble has

made 10-15 rotations of the oil funnel the small ball falls into a PVC pipe which in turn triggers the next sub-task.


This sub-task used a coiled wire to act as a track for our ‘discuss’. To support the wire we used a 1 ½ foot 1x6 to

over hang. We drilled a small hole close to the edge of the over hanging 1x6 and then fed the coiled wire through the

hole. The coiled wire does not have much mass and did not require that much support. Once the ball from the golf

subtask falls down the end of the funnel it travels down a foot long piece of PVC piping. On the edge of the PVC

piping is the stick once the ball comes into contact with the stick, the stick is released and then travels down the 20

cm long coiled track. Re-set time is pretty high because the stick needs to be coiled back to the starting position.

Repeatability on the other hand is very high because the coiled wire was lubricated with WD-40.


Risen

6.0 Design Procedures

Design plays a major role in the field of engineering. There are various methods and procedures that are associated

with the design process. Some design processes are much more mathematical or incorporates the principles of

physics versus trial and error.

Due to the sheer number of tasks involved with our Rube Goldberg machine, we broke up the tasks in to much more

manageable pieces. Each member of our group put an equal amount of time into the design process because task

were broken into smaller pieces.

Brainstorming was the first process we incorporated in our design process. We considered if the proposed

suggestions were attainable, meaning whether if these proposed designs could actually be implemented in our

machine. In each design meeting all members of the group-shared ideas, some ideas were feasible but some were

unattainable.

In order to make sure our project worked well with proposed design options, major constraints and objectives were

considered in the design process. To rank the objectives and constraints on a scale of importance our group made a

Pairwise Comparison Chart (PCC) to evaluate our design. The Pairwise Comparison Chart is ranked in binary code;

the goal with the highest rank is the most important goal. Each goal is placed in each row and each column. If a goal

is more important then another goal a 1 is given to the more important goal.

In table 1.1 A Pairwise Comparison Chart ranks the objectives our group considered when designing our Rube

Goldberg machine. The objectives we considered are cost, portability, Durability, convenience, safety, strength and

stability.

Strength

Goals Cost Portability Durability Convenience Safety and Stability

Score

Cost **** 0 1 0 0 0 1

Portability 1 **** 1 0 0 0 2

Durability 0 0 **** 0 0 0 0

Convenience 1 1 1 **** 0 0 3

Safety 1 1 1 1 *** 1 5

Strength andStability 1 1 1 1 0 **** 4

Table 1.1 Pairwise Comparison Chart (PCC) Rube Goldberg Machine

We decided that safety should be the heaviest weighted objective that should be considered in our design process.

Strength and stability should be considered as the second most important design consideration. Theses results are

outlined in the Pairwise Comparison chart located above in Table 1.1. We also produced a Morphological chart to

express the function and then the main material we used during our build.

Table 1.2 Morphological Chart Expresses these Functions and Means.

Means/Function 1 2 3 4

Light the Olympic Flame

Gasoline Diesel Magic Flame Oil

Bicyclist Track Metal tubes Hot Wheels Track

Pole-Vaulter Toy

Diving Sequence Wood Plastic

A weightlifter lifts a huge barbell

Wood Toy (moveable arms)

Wire Cloth

Fan and boat

Score a goal in soccer Eaves trough

Hurdle Sequence Mouse traps Metal Track

Hang Gliding Fishing Line

Swimmer PVC Pipe Eaves trough

Golfer Oil Funnel

Discus Metal Coil Oil Funnel Wheel

Final Task

7.0 Budget

7.1 Machine Costs

The budget for this project is $120.00 our group was very close to going over budget with our machine. The reason

for coming very close to going over budget is that three of the four group members are from out of province and

therefore do not have available martials. Although, we were able to minimize costs because one of group members

was willing to give us wood to build our structure with, this would be an estimated $82.5. If we had to purchase all

the items we used to construct our machine the cost of our machine would be $. The expense list for our purchased

goods are outlined in table 1.3, the total for this expense list comes to a grand total of In table 1.4 below, displays a

price list for the materials that we did not have to purchase, the total is $241.38. Therefore, the total cost of our

machine is about $

Table 1.3 Expense list for Materials Purchased

Good Price ($)

Aluminum Baking Plates 1.78Aluminum Downspout 17.67Aluminum Elbow x2 5.90Boat 9.94Blue and Red Water Jug 2.00 each = 4.00Canadian Flag 3.00Double Swivel Pulley 2.57EZ- set Mouse Trap 3.69Hot Wheels track + speed cycle 3.93Magic Flame (Propellant) 3.99Soccer Ball 4.67Toy Soldiers 9.84Twine 4.78Union Jack Flag 3.00½’x48 Dowell 1.58¾’x36’ Dowell 2.743/16’x48 Dowell .54 =83.62

Table 1.4 Expense list for Materials that were not Purchased

Funnel 12” 5.99Four drawer slides (4) 20.32100 volt fan 9.003 foot hose 9.69Close pins (50) 3.00Photo paper 20.342x4’s x 8 feet (8) 24.00 (3.00 each)2x4’s x 10 feet (4) 12.00 (3.00 each)2x6’s x 8 feet (1) 4.50 each4x8 ½ inch plywood (3) 42.00 (14.00 each)13 feet elastic bands 16.25Screws 11.73Household light switch 5.35

MarblesTape 8.75Fishing Line 13.46Fish tank (3 Gal) 35.00

7.2 Labour Costs

Table 1.5 outlines the labour costs of designing, constructing and reporting for our groups Rube Goldberg machine.

Table 1.5 Labour Costs

Labour Cost Sam Yan Hamad Ryan

Scheduling of Group Meetings

Hours 1 1 1 1

Design Process 20 20 20 20

Purchasing 4 4 4 4

Building the box 7 7 7 7

Light the Olympic Flame

1 1 0 0

Bicyclist Track 2 2 0 0

Pole-Vaulter 3 3 0 0

Diving Sequence 10 5 0 0

A weightlifter lifts a huge barbell

4 4 0 0

Fan and boat 0 0 4 4

Score a goal in soccer 0 0 10 10

Marble acts as intermediate step

1 1 1 1

Hurdle Sequence 7 7 7 0

Hang Gliding 1 0 3 3

Swimmer 2 0 4 4

Golfer 2 0 4 4

Discus 3 3 3 3

Report 0 0 12

Final Task 6 6

68 hr. 60 hr. 68 hr. 72 hr.

268hr. x 9.50$/hr. = $2,546

8.0 Results and Discussions

9.0 Conclusions and Recommendations

9.1 Conclusions

9.2 Recommendations

Documents

2012 Rube Goldberg Olympics 2