The Marble Run consists of three distinct parts that incorporate a variety of materials to offer users an enjoyable and unique experience. With the marble “wheel” as the first component, users can turn it to release the marble onto the track, where it will navigate through the different turns. By reaching the end of the track and landing in a funnel, the marble will demonstrate the principles of energy transformation.

I have carefully made each component of the device to be both engaging and educational to ensure that users of all ages have a memorable and fun experience. The device aims to demonstrate the different types of energy used in its operation, with the primary function being the display of potential to gravitational to kinetic energy conversion. By placing a marble at the top of the track, students can observe its movement and gain a better understanding of energy concepts. The device is designed to make learning about energy more accessible and enjoyable for students. Throughout the design process, I focused on creating a product that would engage students and encourage them to learn. While creating the marble run, I also learned many new designing, sketching, and reflecting skills, while also reviewing several of the energy conversion concepts myself.

Success Criteria:

• The marble is able to successfully make it to the end of the track ✅
• The spinning wheel for the marble at the start of the track needs to be able to turn ✅
• The product has achieved its purpose and can fully show energy transformation ✅

Using the Rubric:

Define & Inquire:

Develop & Plan:

Create & Improve:

Since the rubric strands and the success criteria are met, I believe that this is a project with many strengths, but because of time constraints, there would also be weaknesses in this design. Listed is a summary of the strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths:

What were some strengths? What needs refinement?

Some strengths of this design are that it meets the success criteria, shows energy transformation, and most importantly, people actually enjoyed it. This shows that this design has fully met its success criteria of working and achieving its purpose. However, I do believe that this design has a few areas for improvement such as the turning points for the marble track, and the funnel at the end. I think that the marble wheel at the top of the design was a success in functioning correctly, but I noticed that the marble would occasionally fall off the first turn point of the track, and land straight in the funnel. This shows that the turning area of the track needs to be larger, to prevent the marble from “escaping”. The funnel was intended to work as one of the highlights of the product, where the marble would roll inside the funnel and eventually “shoot out” from the end of the funnel. Yet, because of the angle of the bottle that has been used as the funnel, the marble would go straight inside the funnel, and not roll out at all. This was not a large problem for users as I observed that people would just take the marble out from the opening, however, if there would be more time for refinement, I believe this is an area that could be focused more on.

Refinements in the process:

While creating this product, feedback from my peers helped me to further think about my design choices. When I was struggling to keep the cardboard strips in the “U” shape, a peer thought of using a string or band to tie both ends toward each other. This better improved my product and influenced many more design choices later on. Having a conversation with other peers who were creating their own projects also was a great experience to share some ideas and feedback we had throughout working on the designs.

Peer feedback:

Peer 1: “I like your overall design and I think that the marble wheel part is really cool. However, I see that the first part of the marble track looks sturdy, and the other two look a bit flimsy, which may be the problem with the marble sometimes not being able to successfully roll down the track…”

Peer 2:  “This is so cool! I think that there is nothing really to say, but I noticed that there is only one supporting “stick” under the track? Maybe adding another supporting material underneath would better stabilize your design?”

Peer 3: “Some feedback that I would give you is to change the funnel part since it can be another really amazing feature in your design”

Peer 4: “I really like the whole idea of having this marble run, and I don’t have much feedback. I just was wondering if you intended to add a use or purpose to the box that is supporting the marble wheel? What features would you add to that?”

Summary of improvements to make (see pictures attached under each improvement):

• Refine the ending two parts of the track, and change to a harder piece of cardboard
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• Add another supporting point under the track
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• Change the material of the funnel, and make more use of it
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• Add a purpose to the box, maybe have the track overlap or be inside the box?

What is the purpose of your device/toy, how does it function, and who is your user?

The device I aim to create is a marble run that serves the purpose of both entertainment and education for students. Its primary function is to demonstrate the various types of energy used in its operation. Students can place a marble at the top of the track and observe its movement, gaining a better understanding of the process of potential to gravitational energy conversion. The device is designed to engage students and make learning about energy concepts more accessible and enjoyable. The intended users for this device are students of all ages, from elementary to high school levels.

What is the environmental impact of your product and is it durable and safe?

My product will be entirely environmentally friendly as the materials in its construction are all reused, and there are no harmful substances or components. This ensures that the product has a minimal environmental impact and is safe for use by people of all ages, especially for elementary school student users. Additionally, the product is designed to be durable, so it can withstand regular use without breaking down or deteriorating quickly.

What precedents inspired you? What did you take away from them & how did it inform your choices?

Marble Maze Game

One of the main precedents that inspired my marble run project is the labyrinth or a marble maze game. This game challenges the players to guide the marbles through a series of obstacles, using basic problem-solving skills. This precedent is not only entertaining, but also serves as an introduction to basic science principles such as gravity, motion, friction, and many more. The marble track design is influenced by this precedent, and it has largely impacted many of the choices I’ve made in creating such an engaging and educational device.

How are you making your product original and/ or using creativity?

I aim to create a marble run device that would stand out from other similar products. To achieve my goal, I plan to incorporate some design elements from my precedents and utilize the materials and tools from the design center, to create a track that would fully showcase energy transformations. Although there have been similar products like this one, I am confident the experience my product would bring will be original and unique for my target audience. By combining creativity with scientific and design concepts, I hope to create a product that is not only informative but also fun and exciting to use.