2013-14Contest Orientation

This Year’s Challenge

Communicate a Message

Carnegie Science Center– Friday, December 13,

2013 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Chain Reaction Contraption Contest

Pre-contest day activitiesRegister and set-up (7:00 – 8:00)Preliminary Round (8:00 – 11:30)

Operations Judging Special Awards Judging

Special Awards Winners & Finalists (12:00-12:30)Final Round (12:45-3:30)

Operations JudgingFinal Awards Ceremony (3:45-4:00)

Awards

Operations JudgingThe top 3 teams will

receive prizes For the School For the 4 Official

Team Members

Special Awards Judging

Best Use of GravityRookie of the YearLongest Successfully

Executed ContraptionBest PresentationMost MechanicalMost Efficient ResetBest Execution of a

Theme

Official Handbook

Check out the handbook for a complete list of rules, score

sheets, forms, available points, potential deductions and

important dates!

www.chainreactioncontest.org

Conceptual Design

An illustrative drawing or drawings of your ideas for your contraption

Does not need to match contest day contraption

High level, not detailed steps

Due October 11th

Photographic Progress Reports

A picture or two of the contraption's evolution

Summary of what has happened Current list of steps Issues/challenges Innovative applications

Due Oct 23rd, Nov 13 and Dec 4th

List of Materials

Detailed list of items on the contest day contraption New – donated or

purchased materials Used – recycled or

scavenged materials

Estimate the value

Due Contest Day

Rules

Dimensions The finished

contraption must not exceed 5 ft x 3 ft x 2 ft. The contraption, while operating, must remain inside the dimensions. The platform is included in the maximum dimension measurement.

Rules

Restarts & Human Interventions If your contraption should fail during its operation,

you may decide whether to: continue the run by helping a step along (a human

intervention) give up on the run and starting over (a restart)

Time Limit Each contraption must take at least 30 seconds to

run completely through its steps and must not run longer than 2 minutes.

Your reset must take less than 4 minutes.

Several Key Questions

How well does the contraption complete the requirements of the task?

How unique and creative is the approach to achieving the task?

How creative is the engineering design of the contraption?

Tips for Success – Pre-contest

Step 1 – Read the Handbook! Pay attention to the score sheets while planning your

contraption and contest day strategy.

Come up with a design and construction plan Set a schedule Complete all activities on-time and in-full

Dream, Build, Test and Revise – Think Repeatable Be patient, allow time to correct the flaws Be bold: change a step if it does not perform consistently Be creative and don’t get discouraged

Practice

Tips for Success – Contest Day

Anticipate what could happen Emergency supplies and consumables (your “triage kit”) Transportation issues

Show your hard work A polished verbal presentation “sells” your contraption Highlight key, unique and creative approaches and steps

Contraption Operation Have a checklist and use it to make sure everything is

right before starting each run. Check with the judges before touching the contraption. Relax and have Fun!

Contraption Demonstration

2009-10 Contest – Construct a Building

Contraption Demonstration

2012-13 Contest – Fill a Container and Close It

Questions?

Step Definition

A step is defined as an action that results in another action working towards the final goal

of the contraption.

For example, the act of tipping over a block of wood with a rolling ball is a step. The actual

tipping motion of the block is NOT a step, unless it causes another action to occur.

A series of the same actions repeated (such as dominoes knocking each other over or a ball hitting another ball) is considered to be one

step in the spirit of the Chain Reaction Contraption Contest.