Marble Factory
Michael Krepsik
39-245 Spring 2001
Principle: The Marble Factory is basically
a kit that uses various sized and shaped pipe pieces to create a marble
pipeline. All pieces are molded plastic
and are fixed at a slight slant to facilitate movement of the marbles. Bases provide stability for the structure,
and short connection pieces and flexible hoses make all kinds of design options
available. The object is to construct a
structure that will allow marbles to go from the top to the bottom by following
a path that you design. All pieces have
smaller tops than bottoms, so that connecting them is a snap. Additionally, all the regular pieces follow
the same basic footprint, so construction is easy.
Interaction: The object is to construct a structure that
will allow marbles to go from the top to the bottom by following a path that
you design. Children learn about
construction techniques, stability of structures, and gravity, thanks to a
slight slope. I would limit this to
maybe 6 and up, since this does include marbles, and is a little more advanced
than some kids may be able to handle.
Safety and Cost: Durability should not be an issue, as it
would be made of high strength plastic.
The exterior will be absent of sharp corners, or small parts, which
could injure smaller children. The
marbles, however, could be swallowed, so making this available to older
children is a must. I would say that
this could be manufactured fairly cheaply, so cost would not be much of an
issue.