Students will investigate six simple machines, diagnose marble-lift performance, and translate the project challenge into measurable engineering specifications before beginning concept research.

Students will investigate simple-machine mechanics, prior solutions, stakeholder needs, collision reduction, safety, and manufacturing constraints before independently generating concepts. Teams will use peer and community-expert feedback, mechanical-advantage estimates, and a weighted decision matrix to select a CAD-informed design and pass a design-review gate before construction.

Students will translate their selected CAD-informed concept into a safe prototype, conduct controlled repeated trials, calculate preliminary mechanical advantage, and create a labeled dataset for a machine-learning model. Teams will document baseline performance against the 152 mm lift, controlled-capture, reliable-return, collision-behavior, safety, and manufacturability criteria before entering the revision phase.

Students will analyze prototype evidence and machine-learning limitations, obtain peer and community-expert feedback, complete targeted revisions, verify mechanical advantage, update their engineering portfolio, and pass a performance rehearsal before the exhibition.

Students will refine their public-facing engineering communication through peer and community feedback, then present and defend a functional marble lift, portfolio evidence, mechanical-advantage analysis, and individual reflections at the Simple Machines Launch Pad.