Photos: Battle of the Rube Goldberg machines
Penn State recently held a contest for Rube Goldberg machines, which do a simple task in a complex manner. The winner? A Super Mario-themed device.
Rube Goldberg machine winner
Pennsylvania State University recently held a competition for Rube Goldberg machines, which undertake a simple task in an overly complex manner. For this particular challenge, each team was tasked with building a device that utilizes a complicated engineering solution to reach the end result of replacing an ordinary lightbulb with a more efficient light source.
Here, a spectator looks at the first-place winner, which is themed after the Super Mario video game series and comes complete with a castle, mushrooms, green pipes, and even an old SNES console connected to it.
Ana Medina
Ana Medina, a member of Penn State's Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, places a component of her team's human body-themed Rube Goldberg device before the contest begins. Four teams competed in the challenge.
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers gather around their entry in the 2009 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Penn State engineering students Andrew Deihl and Brianne Wilburne, both seniors, prepare their American Society of Mechanical Engineers team entry for competition.
Derek Stoecklein
Derek Stoecklein, a freshman, sets up part of his team's Rube Goldberg device, themed "Construction Zone."
Batman
The team that nabbed second place chose a "Batman" theme in its complicated approach to replacing a typical lightbulb with a modern, energy-efficient type. Their solution featured visible electrical energy, such as the visible contained electrical arc in the center.
HUB-Robeson Center's Alumni Hall
The HUB-Robeson Center's Alumni Hall at Pennsylvania State University filled up with spectators and the five competing teams in the 2009 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest at the end of February.
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