Introducing Engineering Design Through an Intelligent Rube Goldberg Implementation

Engineering students need a head start on designing a component, a process, or a system early in their educational endeavors, and engineering design topics need to be introduced appropriately without negatively affecting students’ motivation for engineering. In ENGR1010 at Robert Morris University, freshmen engineering students are introduced to engineering design theory and practice through fun and challenging Rube Goldberg implementations to give them self-confidence early in their education. This article presents a background on Rube Goldberg mechanisms and their use in engineering education. However, the main focus is given to engineering design and microcontrollers in Rube Goldberg mechanisms. The authors worked with a multidisciplinary group of freshmen software and mechanical engineering students to complete an intelligent Rube Goldberg mechanism to assemble cheese sandwiches. The project was accomplished by using a 10-step design process and generating an automated assembly line with Rube Goldberg contraption elements controlled by a microcontroller. The Robot C programming language was employed for programming. The project details, project evaluation, and student responses are also included in this paper. Introducing Engineering Design through an Intelligent Rube Goldberg Implementation Background The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and industry demand that engineering students be able to design, work in teams, and be effective communicators (Feland & Fisher, 2002). One freshman engineering course at Robert Morris University entitled, “ENGR1010: Introduction to Engineering” was revised by the authors in order to introduce engineering students to the design process through an implementation of a Rube Goldberg device. A Rube Goldberg process is used to trigger and maintain student motivation for engineering because it provides a mechanism for “learning while having fun.” This design process facilitated teamwork and emphasized communication. According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2010) the Rube Goldberg concept is defined as "accomplishing by complex means what seemingly could be done simply.” This is how Reuben Lucius Goldberg, a Pulitzer Prizewinning artist, portrayed machines and gadgets as excessive for well over 50 years. In addition, he was sometimes skeptical about the technology upon which these devices were based . His cartoons combined simple machines and common household items to create complex and wacky contraptions that accomplished trivial tasks. While most machines work to make difficult tasks simple, his designs made simple tasks Introducing Engineering Design Through an Intelligent Rube Goldberg Implementation Sushil Acharya and Arif Sirinterlikci Figure 1. Safety device for walking on icy pavements: when you slip on ice your foot kicks paddle (A), lowering finger (B), snapping turtle (C) extends neck to bite finger opening ice tongs (D) and dropping pillow (E), thus allowing you to fall on something soft. (Rube Goldberg Inc., n.d.) T h e J o u rn a l o f Te c h n o lo g y S tu d ie s complex. For instance, he designed a simplified pencil sharpener, a safety device for walking on icy pavements; he dealt with problems like putting a stamp on an envelope, screwing in a light bulb, or making a cup of coffee in 20 or more steps. An example of one of his designs is illustrated in Figure 1 (Rube Goldberg Inc., n.d.). Throughout the years more and more Rube Goldberg implementations have been seen. “The Way Things Go,” a 30-minute film produced in 1987 by Peter Fischli and David Weiss depicts 100 feet of physical interactions, chemical reactions, and precisely crafted chaos worthy of Rube Goldberg (Fischli & Weiss, 1987). This Rube Goldberg implementation utilized fire as the main element to drive the chain reaction. “The Cog,” Honda Corporation’s two-minute commercial for their Accord model automobile, is yet another Rube Goldberg implementation used to present this product in an attractive way (Easton, 2005). Rube Goldberg’s work continues to connect with adult audience who are well immersed in modern technology; younger fans are also intrigued by the creativity and innovation factors involved in the designs (Phi Chapter Theta Tau and Purdue University, n.d.). Today Rube Goldberg inspires hobbies, regional and national competitions, and course-based projects in academia—examples include a playing card shuffling machine, a beverage can smashing contraption, a baby feeding mechanism, and a light bulb fitting device. The most widely known Rube Goldberg competition is a national event held annually at Purdue University. The National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest has for 22 years invited teams of engineering students to design and build complex machines that perform basic chores. The competition brings Goldberg's inanimate cartoons to life in a way that moves students away from traditional methods of looking at problems and sends them deep into the intuitive but chaotic realm of imagination. The resulting inventions are collections of bits and pieces, parts of useless machines scraped together to achieve an innovative and imaginative contraption to resolve the problem at hand. The contest began as a rivalry between two Purdue engineering fraternities, and was popular at Purdue in the 1940s and 1950s. Since its revival in 1983, winners have appeared on various TV shows, including Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with David Letterman, NBC's Today Show, CBS's This Morning, CBS News, Beyond 2000, CNN and ABC's Good Morning America (Phi Chapter Theta Tau and Purdue University, n.d.). Similar mechanisms are made worldwide, but they are known by different names. In Japan, these contraptions are called “Pythagorean Devices,” named after the Greek Mathematician, Pythagoras. Such devices are shown in a 15minute educational television program for kids called, Pythagora Switch, which encourages children to learn and to think. In the United Kingdom, they are named after a similar cartoonist, Heath Robinson, and there they are called Heath Robinson contraptions. Likewise, in Denmark, they are called Storm P. maskiner (Storm P. machines) after the Danish animator Robert Storm Petersen (Rube Goldberg Machine, n.d.). Argonne National Laboratory defines a successful Rube Goldberg machine (the one that is competitive in Rube Goldberg machine contests) as a machine that combines a number of objective and subjective qualities that fulfill tasks, follow rules, and impress judges (U.S. Department of Energy, n.d.). Projects that depicted the following qualities are favored by the judges in these competitions: • The machine completes its tasks without any (highly desired) or with minimal human intervention. • The machine’s steps are clearly visible and are adequately explained during presentations. • The machine has more antigravity power steps (highly desired) or it has a minimal number of gravity power steps. • The machine is not entirely powered by electrical motors or uses minimal electrical power to move objects. • The teams show strong team spirit. • The machine incorporates adequate safety features. Rube Goldberg in Engineering Education At a time when the United States is looking to inspire young minds, Rube Goldberg’s legacy represents the best in American innovation, humor, and unconventional thinking (Phi 64