Mind A-Mazes 2023

Yes, you can attach things to the washer, as long as judges can still see the official ‘bob’ washer.  In other words, don’t bury it below so many materials that judges can’t see it or tell what it is.

*Also, be sure the bob washer (including things attached to it) is directly causing events to happen.  So even a pen or needle attached an inch above the washer (such as on a string) wouldn’t be considered part of the bob.  They’d need to be directly attached to the bob to be considered part of it.  Good question!

Yes and no.  Yes, multiple tasks can take place on each swing.  But you will only be scored for distinct events (or tasks) on each swing – each task must be accomplished as an event on separate ‘swings’ of the pendulum.  For example, if your pendulum bob rings a bell on its first ‘swing’, but also makes a drawing, only 1 of those 2 tasks will be scored by judges.

This is why it’s important for the team to provide judges with a list, drawing, and/or verbal explanation of what intended actions of the device they hope to accomplish on each swing.  In that way, judges will have a better feel for what to not only LOOK for on each swing, but also what tasks to SCORE on each swing.

No – you do not have to attempt a task on each swing.

One straight across motion of the pendulum will count as a ‘swing’ (to the other side) – not over AND back – for most pendulum devices that have an ‘over and back’ path.   So, for example, an ‘over and back’ pendulum device could attempt one task on the path over, and a second task on the way back.

The exception being…if the pendulum motion results in a noticeable elliptical or circular path (not over and back), then the complete revolution would count as a ‘swing’ for judges.  This is largely due to it being difficult for judges to determine anything but one completed revolution for this type of pendulum path.