Introduction: Knex Ball Switch Puzzle
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About: I'm into knex ball machine stuff. My favourite parts are lift/element hybrids, probably because I tried building a perpetual ball machine. It didn't work, of course. All my knex stuff is creative common, and …
To play this puzzle: put the ball on one of the top two switches. The ball will then fall down the machine, flipping some of the switches. Repeat this process until the ball ends up in the square at the bottom of the machine.
No matter how the switches are arranged, it is always possible to solve this puzzle with 8 moves or fewer.
Step 1: Scaffold
This machine has 3 layers.
The bottom layer has a square to catch the ball.
Step 2: Switches
These switches have two stable states: one facing left and one facing right.
Step 3: Diagonal Paths
These pieces help guide the balls from switch to switch.
Step 4: Troubleshooting - Extra Supports
If you find that the balls keep falling off the side, you can add some vertical yellow rods to force the balls into the middle of the track.
