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CONTEST WINNERS

Flying Wheel

ONE INVENTION, TWO CHALLENGES

CONTEST WINNER: JOSHUA OF PARSIPPANY, NJ

Joshua, you and your collaborator Samantha did a great job with this invention!  We see you figured out that it is easier to make the vehicle go straight with the wheel in front instead of in the back.  We also want to give the Orca a shout out!

Tinkering Labs Challenge Sticker

ROBOT THAT MOVES WITHOUT WHEELS 

CONTEST WINNER: RAJVEER & RIDHAM, INDIA!

From Rainbow International School in the foothills of the Himalayas, here come Rajveer and Ridham! Great work boys – not only does your invention move without wheels, it cleans the floor (or the table) while it’s at it!

card_and_robot

CREATURE WITH SPINNING ARMS

CONTEST WINNER: SIMONE OF SAN CARLOS, CA!

Simone, we love your double-motor design, the way you used the shape of the wooden chassis to make a head, the feet made from wheels, and your creative use of yarn and paper to create a super cool and ultra-adorable creature. Great job getting those arms spinning super fast!

card_and_egg

MACHINE THAT SCRAMBLES AN EGG

CONTEST WINNER: KATE OF WYLIE, TX!

Kate, we’re impressed by how you designed your invention to stand on its own over the bowl, the clever motor placement on the chassis, and the symmetry of the whole machine. And, what a great idea to incorporate part of your dad’s weed eater. Fantastic Tinkering.

Flying Wheel

LAUNCH  A WHEEL ACROSS THE ROOM

CONTEST WINNER: JONAH OF LOGAN, OH!

Jonah, your precision-trigger, double-lever wheel flinger is a truly original and fiendishly effective invention.

TINKERING HALL OF FAME

TINKERER:
MIA

Beautiful invention Mia!  “Adding stuff to make it better” is the essence of Tinkering.

TINKERER:
ZOHAR

Zohar, very creative use of the axles and motors to create a powerful paddle wheel!  We want to see it in the water!

TINKERER:
BECKETT

*Two-time finalist!*
Tinkerer Beckett, we love how you used the can and silver tape to make a robot body. Excellent use of outside materials!

TINKERERS:
ASHALIA + DYLAN

Nice handle! Great use of the L-brackets to both support the handle and hold the springs for the electrical connections. We also loved the double-wheel whisk stabilizer.

TINKERER:
WESTON

We love this minimalist design, Weston! The stacked wheels are a great way to increase rotational momentum and really show those eggs who’s boss. Simple and effective—great work.

TINKERER:
ETHAN

Nice two-in-one, Ethan.  No one can dispute that it moves, and it certainly has no wheels!  And it definitely makes a loud sound.  Challenges 1 and 8, check!

TINKERER:
ZEKARIAH

Great design Zekariah, excellent use of the cards to make propellers.  It looks like it would really gain speed if it had more room!

TINKERER:
ADRIAN

Adrian, we love the faux-propeller and your articulate descriptions of what’s happening in your invention. And, you achieved Challenge #5, “Create something that moves in a straight line,” which is not as easy as it sounds!e

TINKERER:
KAI

What an elegant stabilization solution, using the wheel and straight piece to hold the scrambler rods!

TINKERER:
LUKE

Excellent invention, Luke! The tape seems to hold the whisk very securely. We also like the way you used a wooden piece and bolts for a safe and sturdy electrical connection platform. Great work!

TINKERER:
BECKETT

Great use of two offset wheels, Beckett, with a centered wheel in between – it’s a very clever way to create a wide diameter rotation!

TINKERER:
VIVIENNE

Great work Vivienne! Lucky for you MeepMeep is so brave (and not prone to motion sickness!). We love your invention.

TINKERER:
MARCELO

Marcelo, this is an invention of elegant simplicity! Nice double-paddle spinning motion. With some adjustments to your wiring, we think you could also make it go straight if you want to.

TINKERER:
WESTON

*Two-time finalist!*
Weston, this is an ingenious double-cup design. We like your use of the axle and wheels as arms. And the background music is the icing on the cake. Excellent job!

TINKERER:
BENNETT

Bennett, we love how you boldly plunge the wooden pieces into the egg! Great double-gearwheel scrambler. Thanks for sending both the video and picture so we can really see your invention.

TINKERER:
SAM

Ingenious pistol-grip configuration! We also really like your motor holder made from two wood pieces, and the strategic battery placement.

TINKERER:
SALAM

That is some precision engineering, Salam. Challenge #5 sounds easy, but it is not that simple to make some thing that actually goes straight.  Your vehicle tracks beautifully, and carries the toy in style.

TINKERER:
JAYA

*Two-time finalist!*
Mr. Crazy is crazy awesome! Placing the motor off-center on the wheel is brilliant. We love your use of the plastic jar and how you created and decorated his face and head.

TINKERER:
EVAN

Evan, thank you for showing us true Tinkering in action! It is great to see all the different difficulties you had to overcome on the way to an awesome egg scrambler. Your final invention is fantastic—we love the way you decided that one scrambler rod is actually better than two. And the video is amazing – we can’t wait for Episode 2!

TINKERER:
JAYA

Chopsticks! Genius! And, your invention also meets Challenge #1: Create something that can make a loud noise. Two for one!

TINKERER:
ALEXIE

Alexie, we love this design! Brilliant use of the box as a stand—it looks like it works perfectly. We like how you used twist-ties to secure your wires in a place where rubber bands might have been hard to apply. Fantastic!

 

 

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We always love to see what kids create, whether it’s a twist on an existing concept or a new idea entirely. These out-of-the-box ideas fuel our future offerings, and help us understand how kids approach the Catalyst.

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YOUNG INVENTOR GALLERY

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