Pragyan 2010 - Contraptions

Introduction

Cash prizes worth 35000 INR to be won!

Finals - 26^th February, 0900 hrs to 1700 hrs, The Barn

Finals - 27^th February, 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs, The Barn

"The most brilliant solution is often the simplest."

NO!! In Contraptions, simplicity is the last thing that should come to your head. What is needed is a crazy mind capable of dreaming up the most complex of answers to the simplest of tasks. Anyone can make a phone call using their fingers, but can you make one using a Hot Wheels Racer? Tom and Jerry cartoons are recommended viewing for all paticipants. This Olympics of Complexity is designed to pull students away from conventional problem-solving and push them into the endless chaos of imagination and intuitive thought. Instead of just "solving" the problem, teams have to make the solution as complicated and as convoluted as possible. So go ahead, break the rules, defy all logic, and make life tougher!

Pragyan 2010 presents Contraptions, the most popular format of demonstration of Energy Conversion.

Ready, set, go..!!

Registrations open now. Click here to register.

Event Format

Problem Statement

To throw a ring around a bottle from a vertical height of at least 75cm.

Bottle: A standard 1 litre Bisleri/ Aquafina mineral water or some other bottle matching the following dimension criterion:
Height: 20 to 30 cm
Diameter: Base diameter ranging from 6 to 7.5 cm
Ring: Standard circular ring with a maximum diameter of 10 cm.

Bonus Step: The ring must not be directly above the bottle. A minimum horizontal distance of the center of the ring from the center of the bottle must be at least 40 cm while maintaining the aforementioned minimum vertical height.

Download the sample abstract here.
Download the sample document for list of steps here.

Upload the necessary files after registration. File upload is not compulsory during registration. Uploaded file can be modified even after registration.

Deadline for registrations is February 7th, 2010.
Deadline for submission of abstracts is February 7th, 2010.
Deadline for submission of file containing contraption steps is February 21st, 2010.

Judging Criteria

No. of steps involved in the contraption.
No. of different energy transformations used.
Level of innovation and ingenuity.
Complexity of each step and overall contraption.
Build quality of the model.
Time taken to execute the task.
Two or three trials would be given to the participants to make their model work.
Points will be deducted for exceeding time limit.
Participants initially, are allowed to externally trigger only the first stage of the circuit. Points will be deducted each time it is externally interrupted during the contraption.

Team Specifications

A team may consist of a maximum of 4 members. Students from different educational institutes can form a team.

Eligibility

All students with a valid photo identity card of their respective educational institutes are eligible to participate in Contraptions at Pragyan 2010.

Rules and Regulations

Each team will be given 2 trials to show their arrangement. A setup time of 10 minutes will be given before each trial. In addition to this, a setup time of 120 minutes will be given to every team before their first attempt. Moreover, points will be deducted for the second trial.
The time for each trial should not exceed 15 minutes.
The arrangement can have maximum dimensions of 3m x 3m x 3m. This means that the entire arrangement must fit and remain completely within an imaginary box whose dimensions are 3m x 3m x 3m at any point of operation. Build your arrangement so you can reach all the crucial parts.
Participants will be provided with a power supply of 230V / 50 Hz.
A step is defined as an action that results in another action working towards the final aim of the machine. For example the act of tipping over of block of wood with a rolling ball is a step. The actual tipping motion of the block of not a step unless it causes another action to occur. A series of the same actions repeated such as dominoes knocking each other over or a ball hitting another ball are considered to be one step in the spirit of the competition.
A parallel step is defined as an action which initiates multiple smaller steps, starting and ending at the same point, at the same instant of time. This will be counted as one parallel step irrespective of the number of smaller steps initiated.
The ring must be in complete free motion during its final path towards the bottle. You may not use any means to guide the ring after it has been projected. The ring should not be in physical contact with anything.
Teams have to submit a report at the time of the competition which will contain a detailed description of each of the steps and energy conversions in the arrangement. Teams are encouraged to support their report with indicative diagrams. After going through the report and seeing the working arrangement, the judges will decide the correct number of steps and energy conversions in the arrangement.
The arrangement should complete the final task after going through at least 10 steps.
All the materials required for the arrangement should be brought by the corresponding team. Teams are not allowed to share any material. No material will be provided by the organizers.
Contestants are responsible for removing their arrangement and any debris left after the completion of their 3 rounds.
Judges' decision shall be final and binding to all.
The teams must adhere to the spirit of healthy competition. Organizers reserve the right to disqualify any team indulging in misbehavior.
The organizers reserve the rights to change any or all of the above rules as they deem fit.