This video is as cool, or possibly even better, than my previous post on Incredible Japanese Kinetic Machines.
In this video, the creators of this Rube Goldberg machine (a machine that performs a simple task in a complex way) have woven the kinetic reactions all over an entire house!
As it weaves it’s way throughout I can’t help to wonder if someone’s mom is about to come home and freak out at what the kids did when the parents were out of town or something (like with the 60 foot slip-n-slide).
Now, the funny thing is that this video was created by Ben Tyers and Tom Baynham (both scholars of Cambridge University with Master of Engineering Degrees specialising in Manufacturing Engineering) as a demonstration of their ability to create Marketing Virals. I’d say it worked…
When you’ve finished with that video, go ahead and try building your own virtual Rube Goldberg device in this cool little game! Just select the image below and the game will pop open in a new window (courtesy of PBS Kids).
The object is to use your wrench to change objects around and ensure that your contraption works.
For more info about Rube Goldberg machines, see:
- The Rube Goldberg site.
- The 2007 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest site.
- Ideas for building your own Rube Goldberg contraption.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I am amazed… again. First three incredilbe Video-minutes, then that little game..
Being a machanical fool it took a while until my burger got delivered, so I tried it a second time, only 3 mistakes and on the third try all correct… gonna check that tomorrow again
cheers
Rhoody
that’s just amazing, how one motion affects the other in motion
like the types we see in movies
i love the chess part, kinda original. never seen that one before. and how the made the dart aim correctly?? wow
i wonder it must took them ages to do this … kudos :)
That is a great way to use viral marketing :)
I may have to set something up in the corner of my house ;)
Brandon,
If you do, I’ll post the video! :-)
John
Is there a reason all comments on this page are centered?
I love these machines, I used to play the Incredible Machine(I think that was the name) and build my own machines. I recently watched Fracture, where the main character is in to these machines too.
Kim:)
Amazing feat of kinetics and art combined though I wouldn’t want to wake up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water in that house!
Oops. Thanks for pointing that out. I had screwed up the code used to embed the video in the page and it broke everything afterwards – but only in Internet Explorer! Firefox was a little more intellegent in the display, but anyway it’s fixed now!
John
This video has many more, it is about 10 minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdk5m5IT8NY
While getting my Mechanical Engineering degree we had to build something to send toilet paper 40 feet in the air while unrolling (score was balcony height attained times feet of tp unrolled divided by cost) so I was glad to see a roll in this video. I’m not sure about the cell phone calling the other cell phone to get it to vibrate down a slide, it’s clever but I doubt that Rube Goldberg would stoop to having electronic devices doing the noble work of kinetic energy. :D
I just saw this video somewhere recently – I’m surprised it wasn’t here that I saw it! ‘Where in the heck did I see that…’ *scratches forehead*
Anyhoo – all I kept thinking through it was “Another room? Oh my gosh – someone’s wife is gonna be so upset!” LOL!!
It’s definitely very cool, though! Mousetrap times 1000! (One of my favorite childhood games!)
12 / 13
How the hell do you do the burger part in the game? It just gets stook on the skateboard. GBraaappp
cool super game
!!!! GENIUS !!!! the slinky, hitting the orange juice container different variables then, the chess set (magnets?),Then the egg? must have been hard boiled to predict where it would go, the dart & board brilliant
You guys are awesome, I wish some guys like you would get together with some game designers and develop a 3D game for PC or consoles
you know a game where people could create there own Rube Goldberg
machine, please make it happen ! ! ! !
same here :) they built a goldberg machine on mythbusters too
Really awesome game guys. I really like the fact that its continuously addicting even if you pass the first levels
it sucks