Fall 1998—Spring 1999

Task:                      To Set a Golf Tee and Tee Up a Golf Ball

Theme:          Dorm Room

Result:            Did not place at Regional competition

Discussion:     This was the teams first machine, made mostly out of cardboard and duct tape.

 

 

Fall 1999—Spring 2000

Task:             Load a minimum of seven items representing 20th century inventions into a time capsule and seal it

Theme:          Mad Scientist’s Kitchen

Result:           Won 2nd place at the Regional competition.

 

 

 

Fall 2000—Spring 2001

Task:               To peel an apple

Theme:          Super Rube-Mart

Step Count:    33 Steps

Result:           Won 2nd place at the Regional competition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall 2001—Spring 2002

Task:               To secure, raise, and wave a national flag.

Theme:          Mission to Mars

Step Count:    50 Steps

Result:           Won 1st place at the Regional competition.

                     Won 2nd place at National competition.

                     Won People’s Choice Award at National                             competition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall 2002—Spring 2003

Task:               To crush a can

Theme:          RG’s Diner

Step Count:    50—60 Steps (Exact step count lost)

Result:           Did not place at Regional Competition

Discussion:     We managed to soak a judge in water! It was                       all good though, it made them laugh!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall 2003—Spring 2004

Task:               To select, mark, and cast an election ballot

Theme:          Rube’s County Fair

Step Count:    60 Steps

Result:           Won 2nd place at the Regional competition.

                     Won the People’s Choice Award at the Regional                       competition.

Discussion:     This machine was place on display at the Indiana 2010 exhibit at the 2004 State Fair. This machine was also on display at the Muncie Children's museum from Fall of 2004 to Fall 2005.

 

 

Fall 2004—Spring 2005

Task:               To remove and replace two batteries in a                          flashlight, then turn it on

Theme:          Blackout on Planet Rube

Step Count:    125 Steps

Result:           Won 1st place at the Regional competition.

                     Won the People’s Choice Award at the Regional                       competition.

                     Won 1st place at the National competition.

                     Won the People’s Choice Award at the National                       competition.

Discussion:     Our first appearance on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live (Kevin Hollingsworth & Shawn Jordan presented) This machine is still intact and looking for a permanent home. Contact a team administrator for more information about displaying this machine permanently!

 

 

 

 

Fall 2005—Spring 2006

Task:               To shred 5 pieces of paper

Theme:          The Rube Machine Ate My Homework

Step Count:    215 steps

Result:            Won 1st place at the Regional competition.

                     Won the People’s Choice Award at the Regional                       competition.

                     Won 1st place at the National competition.

                     Won the People’s Choice Award at the National                       competition.

Discussion:     Our second consecutive appearance on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live (Drew Wischer, Shawn Jordan, & Bob Mann presented) Unfortunately this machine no longer exists. Due to a shipping error on its way back from Jimmy Kimmel, the machine was literally rattled to pieces. It was unrecoverable.

 

 

 

 

Fall 2006—Spring 2007

Task:               Juice an orange and pour the juice into a cup.

Theme:          The Orange Is Not Enough

Step Count:    155 steps

Result:           Won 1st place at the Regional competition.

                     Won the People’s Choice Award at the Regional                       competition.

                     Won 2nd place at the National competition.

Discussion:     This machine is now on display at The Orchard School in Indianapolis. It is being utilized for part of a science curriculum to 5^th graders.

 

 

Fall 2007—Spring 2008

Task:             To assemble a hamburger consisting of no less than one precooked meat patty, two condiments, and two vegetables

Theme:          Around the world

Step Count:    156 Steps

Result:             Won 1st place at the Regional Competition

                      Won the People’s Choice Award at the Regional           competition

                      Won 1st place at the National Competition

Discussion:     This machine was slated to make an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, however, due to complications, the appearance fell through.  This machine is still intact and currently resides at the Bluffton High School in Bluffton, IN.

 

 

 

 

Fall 2007—Spring 2009

Task:             To replace an incandescent light bulb with a more energy efficient light emitting design.

Theme:          Vegas

Step Count:   

Result:           Won 3rd place at the Regional Competition.

Meet the Machines

Over the years, our team has designed may wild and creative machines.  Designed to complete whatever obscure task is given out for each season, each machine is created with steps just as unique as its proposed task.  After the few thousand hours it takes to build one of these machines, it isn’t right to simply put them away and forget about them.  That’s why we have devoted this page to our machines.  (Clicking a machine’s picture may bring up more media regarding that machine.)