Pupils put engineering skills to the test

The Marlborough Technology Centre was humming with excited students during the Cuddon Regional Technology Challenge this week.

The regional competition brings together 20 teams from 14 schools to compete for a trophy built by Cuddon engineers.

Teams complete three challenges; one they prepare for in advance and two that are kept secret until the day.

Marlborough Technology Centre associate principal Paul Sainsbury said Wednesday’s competition showed there were many young engineers learning a vital trade.

‘‘The kids were fantastic. They were all quite excited. They were all high-fliers at their schools so they were highly motivated,’’ Paul says.

Each team had four students who were year 7 or 8.

They faced time and material constraints and worked under pressure as a team, and had to use their individual skills as a group to achieve a better solution than they would individually.

The challenge they knew about in advance was to construct a Rube Goldberg device - a series of mechanisms that transport a table tennis ball into a cup using marbles and a variety of materials.

The surprise challenges were to build a crane to lift a 250-gram bottle of water as high as possible, and to make a wind-powered cable car.

‘‘It all depended on how high and how far they could lift the crane arm. It’s quite difficult to do because they have to counter- balance it,’’ Paul says.

‘‘We had a leaf-blower to act as the wind for the cable car. We had a Moana doll to be attached to the car, to send down the wire. It was fun.’’

There was a prize for the bestdressed team.

Students came dressed in suits, as cowboys, and as ballerinas, to name a few, Paul says.

Prizes were awarded for the best teamwork, communication, interpersonal skills, creativity and developmental skills, as well as for each challenge.

Cuddons stepped up to sponsor the competition in Marlborough in 2014 so the regional event could continue after the national sponsor BP withdrew after 36 years of support.

The well-known local engineering firm pledged to continue supporting the competition while presenting the trophy this year, Paul says.

PHOTO: SCOTT HAMMOND/STUFF Bohally year 8 students, from left, Georgia Morrison, Cameron Mckenzie, Ayden Reece and Caelen Marcroft show off their Rube Goldberg device.