Sunday, March 12, 2017

Draw and explain a Rube Goldberg design that will include the following components:


* Digital
* Motor
* Relay
* Opamp
* Temperature sensor
* LED

  • The circuit we prepared contains three different steps in order to make it work effectively. We used a temperature sensor in order to send an output. We realized the output sent by the temperature sensor was not high enough to activate the relay, so in order to make it work the temperature sensor was connected to a non-inverting opamp. This gave us a gain of 6 which is high enough for the relay to be activated. This same output was sent to our LED and Digital in order to let us know when the relay was activated.  Once we successfully triggered the relay a voltage of 6 volts was sent straight to our DC motor. 

  • Our Rube Goldberg consisted of a DC motor attached to a device similar to a crane. The DC motor is attached to a cup with a marble inside by a string which is consistently pulled up until it reaches a desired angle. Once it reaches that angle the ball falls through an opening in the cup making it go down the ramp and achieving the desired purpose.

Video of our Rube Goldberg with explanation:

Figure 1: video displaying how the rube goldberg circuit works.
Figure 2: Picture of the circuit before the relay switches.

Figure 3: Picture of the circuit after the relay is switched.

Figure 4: Drawing of circuit.




  • We had issues with time constraints which prevented us from having our digital display showing something other than the number 7, which is our group number. We had issues with time because our original circuit had a broken relay and 555 timer that took up a majority of the time on our first day, we then had to start over on wednesday which set us back. The only problem we faced after starting over again was the temperature sensor wasn't giving an output until we replaced it and the op-amp wasn't the correct one corresponding to the relay.

5 comments:

  1. I like how you guys implemented your first Rube Goldburg setup into your second setup. I heard you guys mention you didn't have enough time to put in the timer, were did you plan on putting it? In front of the display or were you guys going to do it sooner in the circuit?

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  2. Good Job! And creative ideas. I like your circuit set up. Everything was clear for me. I am not sure, but I think we are supposed to provide photos as well for every components we use in our circuits.

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  3. I like your Rube Goldberg and I like how you setup all components together. I think you have to add pictures for all components. also, add two problems you faced when you setup your project.
    Good job.

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  4. Good explanation of your Rube goldberg, but as other groups have said I do think you are supposed to include a drawing of your setup and pictures of each component of the entire setup.

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  5. You need to consider spending some time outside the class for projects.
    No responses to other comments.

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