Absolutely Ingenious Wooden Rube Goldberg Machine
The Marble Lifting Machine would probably impress even Leonardo da Vinci. Mere words cannot describe the play of physics and craft that goes into this machine which has a single task – take a steel marble and transport it to the top of the wooden structure, then to the bottom, and repeat for 24 hours without any electronic parts.
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That’s right, the only power is provided by gravity. The initial impulse is provided by a system of weights and counterweights. A complex network of wooden channels, lifting devices, pulleys, and trapdoors keep the marble in almost perpetual motion. The smooth flow of the marble towards the top is kept up by a series of governors and escapements.
It’s quite a journey for the marble up and down the 6 feet tall wooden device (a complete circuit takes about 24 hours). The marble makes 1300 trips from the bottom to the summit and back again and travels an equivalent distance of 12 miles.   The video is not only about the motion but also how the sub-assemblies of the Marble Lifting Machine are put together. It’s science wrapped up in art.
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March 13th, 2010
Wow. That is amazing. I’m speechless.
March 17th, 2010
Would love to see better detail on the “Magnetic Climbing Bridge”.
March 25th, 2010
That’s absolutely crazy! IMPRESSIVE