RULE BOOK
RUBE GOLDBERG-STYLE MACHINE
DESIGN COMPETITION
SPONSORED BY:
NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 2
OBJECTIVE ..................................................................................................................................................... 2
REGISTRATION…………………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………………….2
TEAMS ........................................................................................................................................................... 2
SUBMISSIONS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3
COMPETITION ............................................................................................................................................... 3
JUDGING........................................................................................................................................................ 4
MACHINES……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5
FAQS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5
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INTRODUCTION
Ruben Goldberg (1883-1970) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, engineer, and inventor who
designed and drew comical, complex systems for completing simple tasks. Machines named for him use
a few to hundreds of simple machines working in sequence to perform a simple task. The challenge
presents students with an exciting, deep dive into engineering and STEM principles.
Liberty Science Center and the Neptune Township School District welcome you to their very first Rube
Goldberg-Style Machine Competition.
PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE RULE BOOK BEFORE DEVELOPING YOUR SUBMISSION.
OBJECTIVE
To place a standard size, aluminum can in a recycling bin.
Recycling bin dimensions: L-14.5’’, W-10”, H-15”
Aluminum can dimension: D-2.5”, H-5”
Figure 1: Standard Recycling Bin
REGISTRATION
• Teams must register at their schools by December 18, 2015.
• Registrations should include the full names of all student participants, the designated Team Captain,
the full name of the teacher or advisor, and that person’s relation to the students (e.g. teacher, troop
leader).
TEAMS
Teams must consist of 3-6 student participants with an adult advisor. One student will act as the Team
Captain. Please note that no more than three teams may work under the same advisor.
Adults should:
Encourage students’ teamwork and innovation with little to no adult input or direction.
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Students should:
•Demonstrate and promote integrity, discipline, and professionalism.
•Take responsibility for submissions and important deadlines.
•Display courtesy and respect for all competition participants.
•Follow competition rules. (Any questions or need for clarification may be directed to Deepesh Dhingra
at LSC: ddhingra@LSC.org)
•Enjoy themselves and have fun. 
SUBMISSIONS
December 18, 2015 — Deadline for school-level competition submissions
January 18, 2016 — Deadline for schools to complete competitions and identify winners
February 1, 2016 — Deadline for winning teams to submit materials to LSC for the finals
1. Each team is responsible for making its submission to the competition.
2. Each team must submit a video of the machine running from start to finish with no interference
(should be approximately 2 minutes long).
3. Machines must be filmed running twice, continuously and successfully, without interference.
4. Each team must submit a video with a detailed explanation of the machine. This video can be up to 4
minutes in length.
5. Each team must include a written description with a detailed step-by-step list explaining how each
component of the machine works.
COMPETITION
The competition includes two rounds:
 Preliminary Round –This round will be managed, scheduled, judged, and hosted by each local
school. School competitions must be completed and winners announced by Monday, January
18, 2016. The top two teams from each school will be invited to a final Judging Round which will
be held at Neptune High School in Neptune, NJ on February 20, 2016.
At the school-level competition, teams will present a live demonstration of the machine to
judges and guests. Participants must explain the machine in detail to the judges and, at the
schools’ discretion, may run the machine as many times as it takes for the judges to be sure they
understand how each machine works. A minimum of two successful live runs by each team is
required.

Final Round – School-level finalists must send their Preliminary Round submission materials to
Liberty Science Center by Monday, February 1, 2016. Machines will be judged at Neptune High
School in the Final Judging Round following the same parameters as the school-level
competition, with a minimum of two successful runs. Students will be asked to explain their
machines in detail. The top three machines will win the competition and receive awards after
the Final Round. A special award will be presented to the People’s Choice winner as voted on by
audience members.
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JUDGING
Schools should choose judges from the local school community including teachers and administrative
staff. Liberty Science Center employees will judge the Finals.
Machines will be judged in four main categories. More detailed information will be available when the
scoring sheet is completed and released.
 Machine Design – Complexity, storyline, use of everyday items, aesthetics, and number of
machine functions or steps.
 Machine Run – Goal is to have machine take exactly two minutes to complete tasks; high
success rate over two or more live runs; accomplishes the goal of placing a soda can in a
recycling bin.
 Teamwork – Coordination/communication, presentation, machine explanation.
 Penalties – Points will be taken off for machines or teams that do not follow the rules.
JUDGING RUBRIC
Machine Design
Machine Run
Teamwork
Penalties
Up to 40 points
Up to 40 points
Up to 20 points
Fail to drop can into recycling bin
-25 points
Occupied space larger than 8’x8’x8’
-30 points
Number of Steps
20-80 steps
10-19 steps
Under 10 steps
Power cords
every cord over 2
Electrically-driven every system over 4
- 0 points
-10 points
-20 points
-10 points
-10 points
Time
Every second over or under 2 minutes
- 1 point
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MACHINES
Use ordinary, everyday objects to build your machine. Be creative and have fun!
Objective:
To drop a soda can into a recycling bin.
Occupied Space:
No larger than 8’X8’X8’ (every part of the machine
has to fit within these boundaries at all times.)
Number of Steps Machine Must Run Through:
Reset:
Minimum 10, maximum 80
Please note: All machines must be easily reset. A
maximum of eight minutes will be given for
participants to reset their machines.
AC/DC power cords:
Electrically-driven systems:
Water Hose:
If you wish to use them, the limit is two.
If you choose, 2-4 steps may use electricity.
The use of one hose is allowed, if desired. Hoses
must be attached to capped, secure mobile tanks
to prevent leaking, Messes must be cleaned up by
the team after each machine run.
Microcontrollers are allowed only if they clearly
show the transfer of energy from one form to
another (e.g. as one step, a ball falls onto a switch
connected to a controller that powers a motor).
Required at all times
Not allowed; will result in disqualification
Not allowed; will result in disqualification
Microcontrollers:
Safety of Participants and Viewers:
Live Animals:
Hazardous or Flammable Materials, Explosives,
Sharp Objects:
Offensive Storyline Topics or Elements:
Objects flying outside 8x8x8 space:
Not allowed; will result in disqualification
Not allowed; will result in disqualification
FAQs
What is a step?
A step is when one form of energy is transferred to another. Identical, consecutive, and repetitive
transfers are considered to be one step (e.g. multiple dominoes falling on each other).
What is interference?
Machines must run autonomously except when launching a run. If a participant physically interferes
with any part of their machine during a run (e.g. nudging a ball to roll down a slope), it will be counted
as interference and the run will not count.
What if my machine stops during its run?
It will be considered an unsuccessful run and points will be deducted.
How long do I have to set up my machine prior to competition time?
During the preliminary run, schools may set the schedule. In the Final Round, teams will have a
maximum of two hours to set up.
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What role should student advisors have?
To assure a fair competition, advisors are encouraged to promote innovation and teamwork among
student groups, offering minimal input to the design process.
What is the deadline to enter the school-level competitions?
That will be decided by each school.
What happens on competition day at Neptune High School?
1. Teams will have 2 hours to set up their machines.
2. Each team member must describe some part of their machine to the judges. This should take no more
than 4 minutes for each team.
3. Machines will run once, be re-set in the allotted time, and run again. If judges are not satisfied, they
may ask participants to run the machine additional times.
4. Teams will be judged on the following criteria:
 Machine Design – Complexity, storyline, use of everyday items, aesthetics, and number of
machine functions or steps.
 Machine Run Time – No more than two minutes long, high success rate over two or more live
runs, can be repeated, accomplishes the goal of placing a soda can in a recycling bin.
 Teamwork – Coordination/communication, presentation, machine explanation.
 Penalties – Points will be taken off for machines or teams that do not follow the rules.
What is a storyline?
Teams are encouraged to be creative to stand out from the rest. Creative storylines and theatrical
presentations are encouraged. For example: your machine could have a science fiction, steampunk,
musical, or literary theme.
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