2014 Penn State Regional Rube Goldberg Machine Contest

Seven student teams were tasked with designing and building a machine that could zip a zipper in 20 steps or more on Feb. 15, 2014, at the Nittany Lion Inn. The Engineering Leadership Society won first place and the People's Choice Award.

Dean views Rube Goldberg Machine
Engineering Leadership Society team leader Dan McGarry, right, walks Engineering Dean Amr Elnashai through his team's Rube Goldberg machine.

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IEEE Rube Goldberg machine
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers team's theme for its Rube Goldberg machine was "waking up late."

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SHPE Rube Goldberg machine
The Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers decided to go with a global theme for their machine, opting for a World Cup motif.

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Rube contest wide shot
Seven teams competed on Feb. 15 for the opportunity to represent Penn State at the National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest later this spring in Columbus, Ohio.

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Cookie Monster
Rube Goldberg machines often consist of everyday objects. This Cookie Monster doll was a part of the Engineering Leadership Society's childhood-themed machine.

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Chinese Undergraduate Student Association
The Chinese Undergraduate Student Association was one of seven teams from across the University to participate in the 9th annual competition.

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ASME Harrisburg
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers team from Penn State Harrisburg incorporated a number of toy vehicles in their machine. The team ultimately finished third in the contest.

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ASME University Park
The University Park chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers used a Tarzan theme for their machine.

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Kids love Rube Goldberg
The Rube Goldberg contest is especially popular with children, who are allowed to get up close and personal with the machines once the contest's three rounds are concluded.

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