Engineering Students Apply Mechanical Concepts Creatively
By Heidi Heilhecker
November 24, 2007
Rube Goldberg Machines developed by the Introduction to Engineering students have recently taken over the vacated kindergarten building. Before starting on this project, students spent some time researching Rube Goldberg, a Nobel Prize winner for political cartooning. You might ask what cartooning has to do with engineering. Mr. Goldberg was an inventor of sorts. He drew very complex and often absurd machines that turned an ordinary, simple task into an overly complicated one. The cartoon illustrated is just one example of many.
The students were placed in teams and asked to decide on a simple task then design and build a machine with at least eight steps to complete the task. Some tasks include putting toothpaste on a toothbrush, stapling papers, and opening a shade. At first they had a difficult time brainstorming ways to use everyday materials in unique and inventive ways, but after viewing some examples they developed their own creative ideas. We will keep the projects up for awhile if you would like to see them in action.
Eric Powell, Brett Mahnke, Michael Miller, and Kara Zegers work on their Rube Goldberg machines.
Engineering Students Apply Mechanical Concepts Creatively
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