Teams invited to enter Rube Goldberg-inspired challenge
Local businesses and community organizations are invited to participate in a team challenge inspired by the late Rube Goldberg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist best known for his wacky inventions.
The adjective “Rube Goldberg” is now invoked to describe an overly complicated effort to accomplish a somewhat simple and singular task.
As part of DuPage Children’s Museum’s yearlong theme, “Setting the Stage for Innovation,” the museum is organizing a challenge to allow teams to showcase creativity and innovation in the workplace.
World-renowned contraptionist and creative technologist Brett Doar will serve on a panel of judges for the challenge. Doar is most notable for his Rube Goldberg machine creations for pop band Ok Go, Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report,” GoldieBlox, Google and Red Bull.
For the challenge, organizations, businesses, school groups and clubs are invited to work together to design and complete a Rube Goldberg machine that will complete a simple task, such as lifting a curtain or turning on a light bulb. Teams may spend as much or as little time working on the project as they like.
Teams will be invited to a special preview event, “Setting the Stage for Innovation: Organizations at Play,” from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, at DuPage Children’s Museum, 301 N. Washington St., Naperville. The reception will feature each team’s imaginative and innovative creation on display.
The top three machines will be decided by judges at the Feb. 25 event. Each winning team will receive two tickets to the museum’s annual benefit ball April 12, where the top three machines will be on display. The first-place winner will be announced at the benefit ball. A Kids’ Choice Award winner will be selected by museum members and visitors.
Entries must include eight to 10 interactions to complete a simple task. They also must fit on a 6-foot table, be easily portable, and fit through a standard doorway. Entries must be delivered to DuPage Children’s Museum between noon and 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24. The business or organization logo should be included on each machine.
Video or photo documentation of the team’s building process must be submitted with the entry and may be featured on news releases and publicity surrounding the events.
Visit www.dupagechildrens.org/innovation/organizations-at-play-challenge to view a video invitation and register, or contact Julie O’Keefe, DuPage Children’s Museum’s special events coordinator, at jokeefe@dupagechildrensmuseum.org or (630) 337-8000, ext. 3190. There is no cost to participate in the challenge.