LSSU Engineering Day
Machine Competition Judging Criteria
Three judges will be judging each machine, so the total number
of points at the end will be the sum of all the three grand
totals. The maximum possible score is 300 points.
INITIAL
IMPRESSIONS(SUB
TOTAL: 50 maximum points)
Number
of Steps
(25 points maximum)
Did
the machine have the minimum number of steps?
(Senior Division: 20 /Junior Division: 10)
Did
the machine have more steps than required?
Did
the machine's steps flow from one to the next, or did
they "branch"?
How
easily could you follow the machine's steps?
Were
the steps slow enough to see and understand the transitions?
Could
you see them easily from one point, or did you have to
move around?
What
is a step?
A
step is a linear process, not a parallel process. If a plane
moves up a wire and triggers a switch, that would be an
example of one complete step. If a plane causes two things
to happen, that would be a parallel result and would only
count as one complete step.
Creative
Use of Materials (10
points maximum)
How
many objects in the steps do not appear to be bought,
but found or pieced together?
How
many of the objects in the steps are used in an unusual
way?
Use
of Themes in Machine (5
points maximum)
Did
the machine incorporate the stated theme within the machine?
How
well did each of the steps conform to the theme?
Use
of Innovative Mechanical vs. Electrical Steps
(10
points maximum)
How
many of the steps required a battery or electric power
to run?
How
many steps used mechanical, hydraulic or kinetic energy
as opposed to electrical?
UP
AND RUNNING (SUB
TOTAL: 50 maximum points)
Successful Completion of Task
(10
points maximum)
Did
the machine complete the task, or was the task completed
through human intervention?
Machine
Was Reset (15
points maximum)*
How
efficiently was the machine reset?
How
well did the team work together to reset the machine?
Were
there steps that were not reset?
Second
Run
(10 points maximum)*
Did
the machine complete the task, or was the task completed
through human intervention?
Spirit
of the Group (10
points maximum)
How
well does the machine match the concept of simplicity
made complex?
Does
the machine have that certain flair that makes you go
"ahhh"?
Human
Intervention (-10
points maximum each, first & second runs)
How
many human interventions occurred?
How
important to the machine were the steps that were intervened?
*will
not be scored in the finalist round
GRAND
TOTAL: 100 points x 3 judges = 300 points possible
