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The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest®

Congratulations to the TOP 10 entries for 2023 to Build a Lunchables!

About the Contest

A Rube Goldberg Machine® is made from found or discarded household items. These contraptions come from landfill, rather than contributing to it and are essentially green machines! The Institute is proud to offer the only STEM competition in the world that requires zero cost to build and participate. Anyone, anywhere, with nothing more than a pile of junk and a great imagination can build an award-winning Rube Goldberg Machine®.

  • All ages, free
  • Compete as an individual or a team
  • Machines can be any size, small or large
  • All Machines must complete the task
  • Submissions for 2023 are no longer accepted
  • Judged by a RGI panel of experts
  • Prizes include Visa gift cards, Rube swag, trophies and showcased in social media

International Teams

For this year's contest The Rube Goldberg Institute and Lunchables® have created a special INTERNATIONAL AWARD for builders outside of the USA. We want to know what lunch looks like where you live! The INTERNATIONAL challenge is to "MAKE A LUNCH" based on the foods that are served in your specific country. Whether you build a sandwich, or assemble an array of food on a plate or in a bowl, show us what you eat for lunch and take this opportunity to personalize your machine so that we learn about you, your culture, and your favorite mid-day meal! The judging criteria, rules, prizes and submission dates remain the same as the main contest. If you have any questions, please contact us at rube@rubegoldberg.org.

What are the rules?