Mind A-Mazes 2025

*Teams are required to have a trigger as part of their device, and you should work on this trigger earlier than later, as it can be more difficult than you might expect!

Here’s the part in the rule packet mentioning the need for a trigger:

2. The launching force must be supplied by elastic solids (springs, rubber bands, etc.) or by gravity.  No explosives or liquids may be used (see #7). Students are not allowed to use their hands (or any body part) to hold the launching arm in place.  The device must be ready to ‘fire’ without being touched in any way by the student other than to trigger the device. All stored energy must be released by a trigger on the device.  For example, a student may not pull or stretch elastic or similar powered energy sources or hold other stored energy and then simply release it themselves – the device must store any energy and have that energy be released with a single triggered action by a team member.

Yes!   As #2 states in the challenge packet “2.  The launching force must be supplied by elastic solids (springs, rubber bands, etc.) or by gravity. ”

Since a trebuchet is using gravity (in the form of a counterweight), they are allowed.  A trebuchet is actually a specific type of catapult.

Yes, teams should strive to build catapults that are calibrated to go from 1 meter to 11 meters (or any meter mark in between!).  This is what truly makes this year’s challenge difficult!

*The distance won’t be determined until the district meet, so it will be randomly determined at the very start of the meet.  The ‘first’ distance will be between 1-6 meters, and if some teams get that first randomly determined distance, then the 2^nd distance would be randomly determined 7-11 meters  (only teams that get the first target ‘in’ would get a 2^nd shot at a farther distance). 

First Target:  either 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 meters  (randomly determined at district meet by meet organizers – same for all teams)

Second Target:  either 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11 meters (randomly determined at district meet by meet organizers – same for all teams)

The trash cans will be ‘centered’ on the meter distance teams are aiming for (which is determined at the district meet).  This means that if you are aiming for a 3 foot meter distance, place the trash can ‘centered’ over the 3 meter mark!  *This is important, because if you were aiming for a trash can placed right behind a 3 meter line marked on the floor, you’d essentially be aiming farther than 3 meters to actually get the ball into the trash can target.

Yes!                 

Target can centered directly over meter distance during testing.

No!    Don’t place target can just past the meter distance during testing