December 5, 2012 - The 2013 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest has opened for registration to international collegiate, high school, and middle school teams. This is the second consecutive year for igus as a nationwide product sponsor of the event.
The 2013 contest, entitled “Hammer A Nail,” is aimed to encourage critical thinking and problem solving skills in a non-traditional learning environment. Students will design and construct Rube Goldberg machines, which are overly complex contraptions, using chain-reaction steps designed to accomplish the simple task of hammering a nail.
This year, teams will have the opportunity to use, igubal flange and pillow block bearings, and DryLin linear slides and aluminum shafting donated by igus. The students have a total of six weeks to design and build their robots and will then compete with their machines at local events across the U.S.
The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest aims to inspire young minds through innovation, humor and unconventional thinking. igus aspires to achieve a similar goal through its Y.E.S. (Young Engineers Support) Program by donating products to engineering curriculums and competitions such as the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest.