2. GATHERING PERTINENT INFORMATION - G-Division-2021-22-EVEN/Repo-14 GitHub Wiki
INTRODUCTION
MARBLE RUN MACHINE
A Marble Machine is a creative ball-run device, designed to send a rolling marble through tubes and funnels, across tracks and bumpers.
On the basis of gathered information, we can broadly classify marble run machine based on the type of material used to build the track:
1. Cardboard Marble Track
2. Steel Marble Track
3. Wood Marble Track
Now that we know the broad types of Marble Run Machines, its important to know the various number of track components which can be incorporated into the project and also some of these track components can be used as functions :
| S.NO | COMPONENT | DESCRIPTION | LINK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Balls On Track | It contains a series of marbles that are placed on a special section of track. When an incoming marble hits the first resting marble, the energy is transferred through all the resting marbles and the last marble then continues down the track. This phenomenon is based on law of conservation of momentum and law of conservation of energy which can be seen in Newton's cradle (Swinging spheres) | https://youtu.be/_aa_zS2ogwk |
| 2 | Multi Ball Tipping Arm | A marble/set of marbles accumulate on an arm which releases the marbles in a single direction once the set weight is achieved. The weights of the incoming balls are counter-balanced by a heavy weight object | https://youtu.be/Dz-TxN4acxU |
| 3 | Double Tipping Arm | It is an extended version of Multi Ball Tipping Arm wherein two marbles/set of marbles accumulate onto two arms which release the marbles in 2 different direction once the set weight is achieved. The double tipping arm can be used with single or multiple marbles. | https://youtu.be/tBx3sBL1EXg |
| 4 | Pacman Tipping Arm | It is a type of tipping arm which can be used according to the required needs. | https://youtu.be/qVlBuPz1xoo |
| 5 | Spinning Arm | The spinning arm is a dramatic component which spins while carrying the marble | https://youtu.be/8tbVxRxdE5c |
| 6 | Double Spiral | Basically two set of marbles spin in this structure simultaneously. It does require a double multiple tipping arm prior to the spiral for this to occur. | https://youtu.be/UVVcLayrG2U |
| 7 | Flat Spiral | As the name suggests, its a flat spiral structure for spinning of marbles. | https://youtu.be/Gj5v862nu-A |
| 8 | Tall Spiral | It is a long cylindrical piece of track. The marble enters the top of the spiral and spins in tight circles until released at the bottom. This part of track requires a large amount of fall. | https://youtu.be/mRTxn_XQL4A |
| 9 | Gate Switch | A series of marbles pass through a set of gates which are designed in such a way that each marble passes through specific gate. It can be made with three to five track paths if required. | https://youtu.be/O5ckT66VSDA |
| 10 | Sea-saw Switch | Another kind of switch which is different in functioning than Gate Switch. | https://youtu.be/egC7A9C5-G0 |
| 11 | Track Switch | This component is a 'left and right' switch whereby each marble takes an alternate path. They are used to divide a track into two. | https://youtu.be/xeG3xIdkhg8 |
| 12 | Gravity Well | Marbles revolve in a wide funnel like structure and eventually enter a hole as they come close enough towards the hole. | https://youtu.be/oL0KHYHpnSc |
| 13 | Loops | Loops are very useful in leveraging the incoming momentum of marbles to create a visual spectacle | https://youtu.be/M9MN1EkR3jg |
| 14 | Personalized Sculptures | Its like a banner showcasing the project name. It adds a great personal touch to the machine that the viewer will appreciate and remember for a long time! | https://youtu.be/u60vkbfvYqo |
| 15 | Standard Helical Lift | It is a rotating helical component which acts as a mean to lift the marble to a required point inside the machine. | https://youtu.be/ZpxlYSAhl5E |
| 16 | Sweeping Helical Lift | It is a modified version of Standard Helical Lift wherein the helical section remains fixed and the marbles spin around the cylindrical tube to eventually reach the top. | https://youtu.be/uz0OCdNjCAU |
| 17 | Serpentine Track | As the name suggests, another eye-catching track which is in the form of a snake. | https://youtu.be/LgQwdjeSqm4 |
| 18 | Wavy Track | This track consists of several 'up and down'. The track requires enough speed to keep the ball rolling. More the "waves" in the track, greater the fall required. The track looks nice with at least three peaks and three valleys. It can be either straight or curved. | https://youtu.be/SZd7eOIcaqw |
| 19 | Zig-Zag Track | This component uses consecutive semi-circle sections. | https://youtu.be/gMNZZkiDfMs |
After going through all of the above track components, we can conclude that: To successfully build a working Marble Run Machine, we need to have the following components in the device:
| S.NO | MAIN COMPONENTS | SIGNIFICANCE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Track Sections | To move marbles around in the designed way |
| 2 | Tipping Arms | To drop the marbles at specified locations |
| 3 | Spirals | To spin the marbles - gaining momentum |
| 4 | Lift Sections | To lift the marbles upward |
| 5 | Miscellaneous Components | Other components which help in achieving our goal of moving the marbles around. It depends on creativity of the designer to design such components |
REFERENCES
IMAGE SOURCE:
1. Fig.1 Overview Of Marble Run Machine: https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.ecwid.com/images/wysiwyg/product/13294173/139002075/1567852157391-983921673/Double_sided___type_1resize_jpg
2. Fig.2 Cardboard Marble Track: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VP9ZiUnfGTQ/maxresdefault.jpg
3. Fig.3 Steel Marble Track: https://content.instructables.com/ORIG/FFH/ZWK3/KMRR062F/FFHZWK3KMRR062F.jpg?auto=webp
4. Fig.4 Wood Marble Track: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mmH2Y6FRjDs/maxresdefault.jpg
WEBSITES FOR FUN-SIMULATION:
1. https://steamlabs.ca/marble-runs/
WEBSITES USEFUL FOR GETTING A BASIC IDEA OF MARBLE MACHINE:
4. https://www.instructables.com/Make-a-Marble-Machines-board/
WEBSITES RELATED TO MACHINE BUILDING AND ADVANCE INFORMATION:
6. https://woodgears.ca/marbles/paul.html
7. https://www.stemmayhem.com/how-we-made-our-epic-cardboard-marble-machine/
8. https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/lessons/design-build-a-marble-run
9. https://woodgears.ca/marbles/index.html
10. https://www.rollingballsculpture.com.au/rolling_ball_sculpture_interactive.cfm
EXISTING PROJECTS RELATED TO MARBLE RUN MACHINE
LINK OF YOUTUBE VIDEOS REFERRED DURING PERTINENT INFORMATION GATHERING:
1. https://youtu.be/uO21ivbLxsc
2. https://youtu.be/kPguktA674w
3. https://youtu.be/lQvcoOzmLqs
4. https://youtu.be/pm3Xlj_CdhU
5. https://youtu.be/JlQJ_8-rfFg
6. https://youtu.be/LzS5GLr0tGY
7. https://youtu.be/MT6jwKRoM4A