Marble Machine

thingiverse

What you see pictured above is a marble machine of epic proportions. This machine functions as a path for marbles to follow, through a ferris wheel, stairs, and a long marble track. In order to make the wheel rotate simultaneously with the movement in the stairs, we attached a thick rubber band to make a belt-pulley system. This way, when the crankshaft operating the stairs is turned by the user of the machine, a rubber band attached to a pulley on the crankshaft spins another pulley that is attached to the shaft that the ferris wheel rotates on. This way, multiple balls can be used at once on the machine since both pieces will be operating at the same time. The dimensions for this machine are 15 cm wide and 15 cm long, with a height of 11 cm, allowing it to fit comfortably on any desk or table. This machine is great for using as a toy for children, or as a desk piece for people of any age to use when you need a second of relaxing. Watching the balls go through the ferris wheel and down the ramp at a rapid pace is quite satisfying for anyone. In addition to the 3D parts that were printed, my partner and I also had to use galvanized steel wire in order to make the track, which can be purchased at any hardware store. We used 14 guage steel wire, which worked well for us because it was easy to bend, while still remaining rigid once it was in place. Once we assembled the final product, it worked smoothly and was a fun machine to use. A link for galvanized steel wire similar to what we used is https://www.acehardware.com/departments/hardware/chain-and-rope/wire/5061031. Problem Statement: With a partner, you will either recreate the KiwiCo. Marble Staircase Automaton or design a custom Automaton of equal or greater complexity as determined and approved by the instructor