Need Some Ideas...

[Ricky Q.]

OK, so I have this final project for my class in school and I have some clue but I thought I'd let all my fellow FIRSTers weigh in on it. Here's the details:

I have to make a machine that will move a marble 10 inches in any direction, and then return it to its starting position.

Rules:
Can only touch the machine once to start it.
Use a battery supply.
Maximum of 2 feet by 2 feet.
Place it on a level tabletop.
Include motor/gears, relay, switch,conductors and Incorporate 2 Different simple machines in the machine;
-Lever
-Inclined Plane
-Wedge
-Gear
-Pulley
-Belt Drive or
-Wheel and Axle
-Cant touch the marble to start it


If you have any ideas, suggestions/comments, reply at will.

[purplehaze357]

at least 10 inches or 10 inches exactly?

[Gadget470]

So basically this is a Rube Goldberg project?

I'd suggest having more of an objective that takes more thought.

In our FIRST class we had to put toothpaste on a tooth brush using no power, just one dropped marble to start the project

[Ricky Q.]

It's a minimum of 10 inches, its not really a FIRST class, trust me when we do those projects it takes a lot more though

[Elgin Clock]

Ok so make a see-saw type contraption, 10" long and when you start it the see saw will send the marble from one end to the other and then back all with one little motor.

[Digo]

what do you mean by
-Cant touch the marble to start it
??

[Ricky Q.]

To start the machine the marble cant be pushed or touched, has to be like a switch or something

[Elgin Clock]

So does that mean the natural movement of a see saw would not be acceptable?? Does something have to touch the marble to push it? Or can it just be inclined to roll???

[Ricky Q.]

I can touch anything except the marble, so i could just push the see saw down.