Check out the Corvallis Gazette Times article and video on the 2022 Ashbrook Rube Goldberg Machine Challenge.
Through the Science and Mathematics Departments at Ashbrook, students interested in chances to apply their studies have found ready opportunities in problem solving projects designed by their teachers.
Collaborating on the creation of marble roller coasters, determining the volume of a Jack-o-Lantern after carving it, creating complex simple machines, and the Save the Elephant Challenge are typical Ashbrook projects. The enthusiasm and joy with which Ashbrook students have approached these challenges, have inspired school leaders to develop the Rube Goldberg Machine Challenge.
The best known Rube Goldberg Machine Challenge is the national event held annually by Theta Tau at Purdue University. In addition, the Argonne Rube Goldberg Machine Challenge for High Schools is affiliated with Theta Tau’s national challenge.
The Ashbrook Rube Goldberg Machine Challenge for middle school students is affiliated with OSU. By joining forces with OSU, Ashbrook will provide an opportunity for students in grades 5-8 to compete against other students from other middle schools, judged by OSU undergraduate and graduate engineering students.
Such a challenge affords students interested in careers in engineering an opportunity to apply and synthesize their thoughts in a complex and inherently interesting problem-solving environment, surrounded by like-minded peers. This higher order thinking is at the core of what it means to be an educated person, and this Challenge provides an opportunity for the brightest thinkers among middle school students a collaborative forum in which to exercise this level of thinking.
The Rube Goldberg Machine Challenge is named after cartoonist Reuben Lucius Goldberg (1883-1970), the spirit of whose work inspires the Challenge’s weird and engineeringly challenging machines and crazy contraptions.
For more than 50 years, Goldberg’s cartoons poked fun at machines and gadgets which he saw as overly complex. His inventions became so well known that dictionaries added “rube goldberg” to its listing, defining it as “accomplishing by extremely complex, roundabout means what seemingly could be done simply” (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition).
Goldberg’s “inventions,” drawn for our pleasure, will work. By inventing excessively complex ways to accomplish simple tasks, he entertained us as he made fun of machines that seemed to be designed to make our lives easier. Goldberg himself claimed that the machines were a “symbol of man’s capacity for exerting maximum effort to achieve minimal results.” He believed that most people preferred doing things the hard way instead of using simpler solutions.
Ashbrook Independent School will invite other middle schools to compete in a spring term Rube Goldberg challenge. The machine earning the most points according to the Official Judging Scorecard, while meeting all other criteria, will win the Challenge. The task for the machine to accomplish will be selected by Challenge sponsors, and will be revealed to registered teams during the Faculty Coach training session at Ashbrook.
Participation in the Challenge will be at no cost to the schools invited (except for the materials and tools they will need to acquire). Acquiring these materials and tools will, ideally, give each school community an opportunity to come together, mobilizing resources within and beyond campus.
In addition, Ashbrook will provide participating schools with the Challenge venue, a staff of judges drawn from OSU School of Engineering, Challenge t-shirts, exposure to local business sponsors, and Faculty Coach training on Ashbrook’s campus.
Awards earned by the overall winning team will include a team trophy and a plaque, engraved with the winning team’s name, to remain at Ashbrook. The overall winning team will also be invited to participate in the next year’s Challenge.
In addition, plaques will be awarded to winners of the categories of Machine Complexity, Machine Creativity, and Presentation to the Judges.
Faculty Coaches will help teams determine how to construct their machine to best accomplish the task assigned, provide transportation to and from Ashbrook, and supervise their team members throughout the Challenge. As a Coach, the faculty member may not actively participate in the creation of the machine before or during the
Challenge, but should be available for consultation with team members throughout their participation in the Challenge. In this, the Coach should answer direct questions with direct answers and may even be a sounding board or provide a reality check.
Coaches should also provide a “moral presence” in accordance with what is right and proper, safe, and in agreement with the given school’s mission and code of conduct; be available during student work times; and ensure a safe and fun experience throughout the Challenge. Faculty Coaches may help students prepare their team’s presentation to the judges and certify that all Challenge rules were adhered to. Finally, on the day of the Challenge, the Faculty Coach will manage the conduct of his or her team, and remind them about the importance of good behavior and sportsmanship. The Coach will also ensure that no spectators are present on the Challenge floor during building (spectators on the Challenge floor during building may lead to point loss).
Faculty Coaches will be provided with a required training session on Ashbrook’s campus (PD Credits will be Awarded). All teams must be represented by the primary Faculty Coach or an alternate. Failure to make this meeting may disqualify a team from the Challenge and a replacement team will be selected from the waiting list.
The 2023 challenge
Official Materials and Tools List
Ashbrook’s Rube Goldberg Challenge 2023 Timeline
By February 1, 2023 — Teams to Apply
Saturday, February 18, 9:00-12:00 Noon — Training of Faculty Coaches by OSU Engineering students. On this date, information will be provided to the Coaches (including the machine to be built, final revisions of the rules, and a final list of materials and tools necessary for the Challenge).
Saturday, April 8, 2023 — Challenge Date, Ashbrook Independent School Gymnasium (4045 SW Research Way, Corvallis, OR 97333)
- 9:15am-10:00am, Arrival and Registration
- 10:00am-1:00pm, Building/Dry Runs (teams should schedule their own breaks according to need; no spectators on building floor at this time)
- 1:00pm-1:45pm, Lunch (provided by teams) in various locations outside the gymnasium. Judges to do safety and official materials walkthrough.
- 2:00pm-4:00pm, Judging of Machines according to random judging order. All teams are encouraged to watch the judging of other machines. Spectators are allowed to leave the bleachers and walk on the Challenge floor at this time.
- 4:00pm-4:30, Awards Presentation
- 4:30-5:00, Teams remove machines, discard materials in the trash barrels and bring barrels to the truck outside the gym doors. Rube materials to be recycled should be placed in the appropriate bins.
Challenge Rules: violation of any of these may result in forfeiture of parts or tools, penalty, or disqualification.
The number of members on a team will be 6 students in grades 5-8 (there must be at least one student of each grade level). The Challenge is limited to 10 teams, selected by the Challenge Steering Committee.
To be judged, a machine must incorporate a minimum of five different steps in completing the defined task. A “step” is defined as “a discrete action that (1) contributes to the completion of the Rube Goldberg task by (2) transferring or releasing energy. For an action to qualify as a ‘step,’ the machine must not be able to complete the Rube Goldberg task if the action fails. An action will not qualify as a ‘step’ if it is part of a series of side events, any one of which can fail without preventing the machine from completing the Rube Goldberg task. No action in such a series of irrelevant side events will qualify as a step. Also, repeating actions will not qualify as more than one step (i.e. a series of dominoes falling is a single step).
A penalty will be assessed for any human intervention on a machine in motion (see the judging form), defined as any act necessary to adjust the machine’s performance between the start of a run and its completion.
Each team will have a total time of 15 minutes for the presentation of its machine to the judges (recommended 5 minutes) AND the successful run of its machine (recommended 10 minutes). During this time, the team is permitted to run its machine as many times as it needs to, with the best run being judged.
Teams may not make use of the internet via electronic devices during the Challenge. In fact, no electronic devices may be present on the Challenge floor (this includes smart watches).
During the Challenge, teams may not receive information from any spectators that would help them to build their machines.
All participants must wear their Challenge t-shirts during the Challenge. Team Captains and Faculty Coaches will be provided with different colored t-shirts and should wear those so they can be easily identified.
Each team member should wear a clearly lettered name tag easily seen by the judges.
Each team must create a machine to accomplish the stated task using approved materials and tools (see Official Materials and Tools List).
A final list of approved materials and tools needed for the Challenge will be included in the information delivered to each team during Coach training. No materials or tools other than those listed may be used. The Ashbrook Rube Goldberg Official Materials/Tools List has been finalized. Materials or tools used NOT from the official list will be removed from the work area/machine and the team may be penalized.
Each machine MUST include a rat trap (provided during Coach Training) and a mystery item (to be given to the team captain on the date of the Challenge).
Both the rat trap and the mystery item must be incorporated into each team’s machine in an active way as a step (not merely as a side event or static item attached to the machine) that allows it to complete the task (in other words, the machine will not work without the transfer or release of energy provided by the rat trap or the mystery item).
Each team will be provided with a 15’X15’X15’ foot area in which to construct its machine and perform for the judges. Any loose or flying objects must remain within these boundaries.
This area will be empty except for a 6’ long table and several folding chairs. All team materials and parts MUST be stored within this area.
Charging of tools and batteries will be possible via outlets/power strips at the venue.
Teams may arrive with wood and PVC pre cut and pre drilled, but no other changes. No pre construction of parts you will bring to the Challenge is permitted: screws or fasteners attached, markings of any type, etc. may result in the forfeiture of the item.
The team may bring hard copy plans, templates, and other design, construction, or presentation aids.
No part of a team’s machine or any associated materials may be attached to the walls, floor, or ceiling of the Challenge venue in a way that damages them.
No action of building, cutting, or drilling shall damage furniture provided at the Challenge venue.
One member of each team must be designated Team Captain. The Captain will lead his or her team’s presentation of the machine to the judges, including an explanation of the process of creating the machine, a detailed Rube Goldberg style illustration and detailed description of how the machine works (including each step of the process), and the outcome. Points will be awarded for creativity.
The team with the highest overall score will win the Challenge. Trophies will be awarded to the overall winning team and to the teams earning the highest scores in each of the three judging areas: complexity of the machine, machine creativity, and the quality of teamwork/presentation to the judges.
No team shall win more than one Challenge award.
Each machine must be safe and subject to the approval of the judges.
A machine must not imply profane, indecent, or lewd expressions. A machine may not display any corporate or sponsor logos.
Each team is responsible for the security of its own machine, but intentional destructive action against other machines or misbehavior or “unkindness” of any kind will not be tolerated and will result in that team’s disqualification.
Teams may invite spectators, but all spectators must remain in designated areas and will be permitted to view the Challenge from approved locations only. A team may be assessed penalty points for unsportsmanlike behavior of its spectators, spectators on the building floor during building, or help provided by spectators.
Challenge teams are responsible for removing their machine and related debris immediately following the Challenge.
The 2022 challenge
Official Materials and Tools List
Ashbrook’s Rube Goldberg Challenge Timeline
By December 17th — Teams to Register
January 2022 date TBD — Training of Faculty Coaches at OSU. On this date, information will be provided to the Coaches (including the machine to be built, packing list of materials, and a list of tools necessary for the competition).
Saturday, February 12, 2022 — Competition Date, Ashbrook Independent School Gymnasium (4045 SW Research Way, Corvallis, OR 97333)
- 9:15am-10:00am, Arrival and Registration
- 10:00am-1:00pm, Building/Dry Runs
(teams should schedule their own breaks according to need)
- 1:00pm-1:45pm, Lunch in various locations. Judges to do safety and official parts walkthrough.
- 2:00pm-4:00pm, Judging of Machines according to random judging order (see judging order in registration packet). All teams are encouraged to watch the judging of the machines. Spectators are allowed to leave the bleachers and walk on the competition floor.
- 4:00pm-4:30, Awards presentation
- 4:30-5:00, Teams remove machines, discard materials into the trash barrels, and bring barrels to the truck outside the gym doors. Rube materials to be recycled should be placed in the appropriate bins (not the water bottle recycling bins, which will also be present).
Ashbrook’s Rube Goldberg Challenge Rules
Violation of any rules may result in forfeiture of parts or tools, penalty, or disqualification.
The number of members on a team will be 6 students in grades 5-8. An entering school must include at least one person from each grade at the school within the 5th through 8th grade range (for example, a 5th-8th grade school must include at least one 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grader; and a 6th-8th grade school must include at least one 6th, 7th, and 8th grader). The competition is limited to 10 teams selected by the Challenge Steering Committee.
Teams may not make use of the internet via electronic devices during the competition. In fact, no electronic devices may be present on the competition floor.
Teams may not receive information from any spectators that would help them to build their machines.
All participants must wear their competition t-shirts during the competition. Team Captains and Faculty Coaches will be provided with different colored t-shirts and should wear those so they can be easily identified.
Each team member should wear a clearly lettered name tag easily seen by the judges.
Each team must create a machine to accomplish the stated task using approved parts and tools (see Official Materials and Tools List).
A final list of approved parts and tools needed for the competition will be included in the information delivered to each team during Coach training at OSU. No parts or tools other than those listed may be used. Parts or tools used NOT from the official list will be removed from the work area/machine and the team may be penalized. All parts and tools on this list are optional. That is, if a team decides it does not need a part or a tool, it does not need to bring it to the competition.
Each team will be provided with a 20’x20’x20’ foot area in which to construct its machine and perform for the judges. This area will be empty except for a 6’ long table and 6 folding chairs.
Any loose or flying objects must remain within the set boundaries of each team’s allowable work area of 20’x20’x20’.
Teams will have no access to electricity for charging purposes, so they should come with enough spare batteries for their battery powered drill.
Teams must arrive at the competition venue with their parts fully intact, and judges will certify compliance prior to machine construction. No pre-construction of parts you will bring to the contest is permitted: holes drilled, screws or fasteners attached, markings of any type, etc. may result in the forfeiture of the item.
The team may bring hard copy plans, templates, and other design, construction, or presentation aids, but no electronic devices.
The judges will introduce a mystery part or parts, on the morning of the competition, that must be incorporated into each team’s machine in an active way (not merely a static item attached to the machine).
No part of a team’s machine or any associated materials may be attached to the walls, floor, or ceiling of the competition venue in a way that damages them.
No action of building, cutting, or drilling shall damage furniture provided at the competition venue.
One member of each team must be designated Team Captain. The Captain will lead his or her team’s presentation of the machine to the judges, including an explanation of the process of creating the machine, a detailed Rube Goldberg style illustration and detailed description of how the machine works (including each step of the process), and the outcome. Points will be awarded for creativity.
Each team will have a total time of 15 minutes for the presentation of its machine to the judges (recommended 5 minutes) AND the successful run of its machine (recommended 10 minutes).
The team with the highest overall score will win the competition. Trophies will be awarded to the overall winning team and the 2nd and 3rd place teams, and to the teams earning the highest scores in each of the three judging areas: complexity of the machine, machine creativity, and the quality of teamwork/presentation to the judges.
No team shall win more than one award.
Each machine must be safe and subject to the approval of the judges.
To be judged, a machine must incorporate a minimum of five different steps in completing the defined task. A “step” is defined as “a discrete action that (1) contributes to the completion of the Rube Goldberg task by (2) transferring or releasing energy. For an action to qualify as a ‘step,’ the machine must not be able to complete the Rube Goldberg task if the action fails. An action will not qualify as a ‘step’ if it is part of a series of side events, any one of which can fail without preventing the machine from completing the Rube Goldberg task. No action in such a series of irrelevant side events will qualify as a step. Also, repeating actions will not qualify as more than one step (i.e. a series of dominoes falling is a single step).
A machine must not imply profane, indecent, or lewd expressions. A machine may not display any corporate or sponsor logos.
Each team is responsible for the security of its own machine, but intentional destructive action against other machines or misbehavior of any kind will not be tolerated and will result in that team’s disqualification.
A penalty will be assessed for any human intervention on a machine in motion (see the judging form), defined as any act necessary to adjust the machine’s performance between the start of a run and its completion.
Teams may bring or invite spectators, but all spectators must remain in designated bleachers or other viewing areas and will be permitted to view the competition from approved locations only. A team may be assessed penalty points for unsportsmanlike behavior of its spectators.
Contestants are responsible for removing their machine and related debris immediately following the contest.