Task Machine 2021 Competition: "The Elevator to Nowhere"

On October 16th, 2021, I partook in the BU Engineering School's Task Machine contest. The goal of the contest was to design and build a "useless machine", a simple machine that undoes whatever action it performs. For this competition, I came in 2nd place with my model elevator project dubbed "The Elevator to Nowhere". I designed the elevator so that it can move up and down primary using mechanical components such as camshafts and toggle switches.

Pictured below is the Elevator to Nowhere!

Figure 1: Elevator Model. The dual motor system for the elevator car and counterweight as well as the polarity changing lies on the top of the elevator.

For the electronic components of the elevator, the 2-pin switch would act as the main on/off switch for the entire system, while the 6-pin switch could switch polarization in relation to the motor it is attached to, thus allowing the car and counterweight to change direction whenever the switch is flipped up or down. In other words, by switching polarization, we can allow for both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation for the motor. The fifth and final bracket is used to hold the CAM arm in place. With the camshaft being placed underneath this arm, it can move up and down when attached to the motor, and when it flips the 6-pin toggle switch up and down, the polarization can instantaneously change, and the motor will rotate in the opposite direction as originally spinning, and turning the 2-pin switch on creates a closed circuit that functions relative to the whole elevator structure.

In order to allow for long enough polarization change, I attached two rubber bands to the CAM arm, thus providing enough leverage to ease the movement of the switch. Finally, to ensure that the elevator asks like a task machine and avoids infinitely moving up and down, I attached an arm to the motor near the 6-pin switch so that when I lift up the arm itself to align it with the switch, it would turn off.

In order to allow for long enough polarization change, I attached two rubber bands to the CAM arm, thus providing enough leverage to ease the movement of the switch. Finally, to ensure that the elevator asks like a task machine and avoids infinitely moving up and down, I attached an arm to the motor near the 6-pin switch so that when I lift up the arm itself to align it with the switch, it would turn off.

So, by manipulating the handle on the motor associated with the CAM, I was able to create an efficient elevator system that can do and undo the action of moving up and down using key mechanical and electrical components. This action can be done once, or multiple times, but in both outcomes, the elevator would successfully return to its starting position!

Here is a video of the Elevator to Nowhere in action: