Steps
Senior Division machines are required to have 15-20 steps and Junior Division machines are required to have 10-15 steps. Failure to have the appropriate number of steps will result in a 10-point penalty. A step is an action that results in the initiation of another action. It is important to distinguish the difference between a step and a motion. For example, a swinging pendulum hitting a lever that releases a marble is one step. The motion of the swinging pendulum on its own is not a step. Additionally, a series of the same repeating actions is considered one step, such as a row of dominoes falling.
On the completed machine, each step should be labeled with its corresponding sequential number. Failure to include any labeled steps on the machine will result in a 10-point penalty. The Team Journal is to also include a numbered list of the machine steps with a description of each step.
Any steps or components deemed obviously unsafe by the judges will need to be removed or bypassed.