Marble marvels! Parkside team wins the DTE Inter-House Challenge

Tonbridge boys put their creative and engineering skills to the test as they constructed a ‘marble run’ for this year’s DTE (Design Technology and Engineering) Inter-House Challenge.

The main goal was to keep a marble moving on its board for as long as possible, with points also awarded for innovative designs and the quality of end products.

Having previously worked on design solutions, teams from each House competed for the coveted DTE trophy in a series of timed challenges during the grand final (Tuesday 14 May).

Following a close-fought contest, only one point separated the top three Houses. Parkside boys, who came up with the concept of creating perpetual motion via a rotating, spiral maze, were declared winners, while teams from Whitworth and Manor followed closely in joint second place.

Parkside’s design used a motor to turn a large disc, ensuring their marble worked its way around the maze before being recycled to the beginning, and thus keeping it moving for the longest time.

Judges felt that, with some refining, the boys’ creation had the potential to achieve the ultimate aim of keeping a marble moving indefinitely.

Richard Day, the School’s Head of DTE, said: “Teams approached the problem in a variety of ways and it was pleasing to see so many creative solutions come to fruition. Overall we saw another excellent contest, which combined design ingenuity with good humour, fun and team spirit.”

Pictured above: The winning team. Below: The DTE Inter-House Challenge grand final.