Ping Pong Pickup Challenge for Grades 9-12

You can use devices like the one in Figure 1 to pick up trash, reach things on shelves, or even just grab something from a chair if you are too lazy to get up! They can also save you from touching dirty things with your hands. The devices need to be sturdy enough to reach for things that are far away without bending or breaking, but also light enough that they are easy for people to use. They also need to maintain a firm grip on whatever you are picking up so you do not drop it.

Image Credit: Pydio / purchased watermark-free version
Figure 1. A trash grabber picking up a plastic bottle.

The 2023 Engineering Challenge is inspired by devices like the one in Figure 1. The goal is to build a device using nothing but paper, tape, string, and paper clips that can pick up and retrieve a ping pong ball from a distance. The farther away the ball is, and the fewer materials you use to build your device, the higher the score will be.

You can use this challenge to explore several different topics in physics and engineering with your students. How you approach the project is up to you. First, it is a good way to practice the engineering design process. You can also explore simple machines and various mechanisms with your students. They can apply knowledge about material properties like mass, stiffness, and friction, and use that knowledge to make informed decisions about how they build their devices.