Building Chaos for Live TV – Our Rube Goldberg Machine Adventure

By

At Kids Invent Stuff, we thrive on challenges and love bringing young inventors’ wildest ideas to life. But every so often, a project pushes us beyond our limits – enter our Rube Goldberg machine, the most ambitious and unpredictable invention we’ve ever tackled.

What is a Rube Goldberg Machine?

A Rube Goldberg machine is a complex contraption designed to accomplish a simple task in an elaborate, over-the-top way. It’s essentially a chain reaction of events, where one action sets off the next in a whimsical and often unpredictable sequence. Think dominoes toppling to knock over a lever, which releases a marble that triggers a pulley system – all just to pour a glass of water or flip a switch. Named after the cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg, these machines celebrate creativity, engineering, and a sense of fun.

For our challenge, the machine needed to be not only intricate and impressive but also inspired by kids’ ideas.

The Dream

This project wasn’t just about engineering – it was a celebration of creativity and innovation for the Year of Engineering in 2018. Supported by RS Components, Tinkercad, The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, and IET, hosted by the amazing Institute of Imagination, and filmed by the fantastic team at Stream7, our mission was to build a massive, functioning Rube Goldberg machine from 60 kids’ invention ideas!

74 Attempts Later…

When we started building the machine we knew it would be temperamental and lots of things would go wrong, but even with that in mind it was a massive challenge! Despite weeks of planning and meticulous engineering, things didn’t always go according to plan. Our fairy got stuck going down our zip-line, our giant zorb ball starting rolling early and our potato kept refusing to fall neatly into a hat – you name it, it went wrong. We were testing the limits of perseverance and patience!

In fact, it took 74 attempts before the machine worked flawlessly. And we were all stupidly chuffed when it finally did! The elation we felt in that moment is something we’ll never forget.

But then we decided we hadn’t quite had enough excitement and agreed to demo part of the machine live on national TV for The One Show.

The Build: Behind the Scenes

This project wasn’t just about the end result. It was about the journey – collaborating with other engineers, learning from failures, and refining every single element. From flying crossbow bolts and ramps to a demolition ball and a dinosaur on a skateboard, every piece had to perform perfectly in harmony.

The support from our amazing partners was key to making this project a reality. RS Components provided vital materials, Tinkercad allowed us to prototype ideas, and the project was brought to life through collaboration with the Royal Commission and the IET. It was a true celebration of engineering ingenuity.

The Takeaway

This project taught us and our young inventors an important lesson: failure isn’t the end; it’s part of the process. Each attempt brought us closer to success, reminding us that resilience and creativity go hand in hand.

Relive the Moment

The finished video is super satisfying to watch and when it worked it was a triumphant moment for everyone involved. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the video here!

Since the Rube Goldberg Machine…

Since the Rube Goldberg machine in 2018, we’ve gone on to build loads more invention ideas – including sending a robot chicken to space for our 100th invention! And breaking a Guinness World Record with the world’s largest electric toothbrush.

What’s next? We’ve got an invention show coming and we’re also building an invention to take to the Taskmaster house. Watch this space!

Have a crazy invention idea? Send it our way. You never know – it might just become our next big challenge!