PROJ.03 · April 2026 · Design + Build

Turn the Gears

A laser-cut, 3D-printed puzzle game that gets kids planning, adapting, and thinking like engineers.

RoleTeam member
TimelineApril 2026
ContextFirst-year engineering
ToolsLaser cutting, 3D printing, electronics

Overview

The objective of the game is to move a ball from one of the top slots to one of the bottom slots. Each difficulty level gives you an allotted time and a set number of options for where to go, indicated by lit-up shapes.

The game is made from quarter-inch laser-cut MDF, acrylic, 3D-printed PLA, and a range of electronic components, with three difficulty levels so it's accessible for all ages. By asking players to plan their paths and see the impact of their decisions, it aims to inspire perseverance, creativity, and critical thinking — emulating the thought process of engineers, which was our theme.

Turn the Gears laser-cut board with lit control box
Fig. 1 — The finished board with its lit control box and three difficulty settings.

My contribution

Describe what you personally worked on — the fabrication, the electronics, the game logic, the difficulty design — and what you learned building it. (Photos and video go here.)

A short, quotable line about the impact or the moment it all came together.

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