• The public is invited to CSU Engineering for its leap year birthday celebration and to watch students’ machine complete a dynamic, complex problem-solving exercise

The students and staff at CSU Engineering invite you to witness the ‘running’ of the 2020 Rube Goldberg Machine in Bathurst on Thursday 12 March.

Foundation Professor of Engineering at Charles Sturt University, Euan Lindsay, explained that as an introductory learning exercise in their first two weeks at CSU Engineering, commencing student engineers cooperate in teams to collectively construct and operate the complex device known as a ‘Rube Goldberg Machine’.

“For our commencing student engineers, building a Rube Goldberg Machine is a case of ‘in at the deep end’ with this first team-building and problem-solving exercise,” Professor Lindsay said.

“A Rube Goldberg Machine features numerous elements or steps that interact and combine as it snakes through the engineering building to complete a single task.

“We like to theme each of our machines according to the Chinese lunar calendar, so this year’s machine will recognise the Year of the Rat.

“The machine will also include specific ‘carry over champion steps’ which are specific elements of machines from previous years, as well as new innovative steps the students create.

“The final step and ultimate goal of the machine this year is for it to light the candle on our ‘First Birthday’ cake.”

The current intake of student engineers is the fifth cohort to start the program, which commenced its first intake on Monday 29 February in 2016 – thus the leap year birthday celebration.

This year the special guest who will trigger the machine with the fall of dominoes is Bathurst Wiradyuri Elder ‘Mallyan’ (Uncle Brian Grant), who will start the machine at 4pm.

“The 4pm start enables more school children to attend to experience the excitement of the machine activation and inspire the next generation of engineers to change the world,” Professor Lindsay said.

The video of the 2019 CSU Engineering Rube Goldberg Machine is available to watch on YouTube. Don’t be late for the start of the event at 4pm on Thursday 12 March at CSU Engineering (building 1305) on Village Drive at Charles Sturt in Bathurst.