This was our first Maker Faire event as participants. After attending in prior years and enjoying the darkroom space the most, we decided to make something that would look great in the dark.

We wanted to make an interactive exhibit for all ages and the idea of an interactive marble run was born. To make it interactive, we decided to make a game. It would be simple to learn but challenging to master.

The game would start with a small wooden ball running along a track and dropping into the top of a round vertical maze. The maze could be spun around its center by turning a steering wheel in front of the maze. Two mazes sat side-by-side to allow two people to race at the same time and see whose ball would reach the exit first. After the game would end, the balls would be lifted back to the top to start a new game.

It was an ambitious project that evolved along the way. We started with a model in Sketchup.

The track was the most difficult part to build. I started by shaping thick wire inside plastic tubing to form the path of the track. We used a laser cutter to make supports made of wood for the track. This would keep the track wires spaced correctly to fit the size of the ball.

It didn't work very well. The wires weren't stable and it was too time-consuming to make. It would have been a hassle to transport it and set it up at the event without ruining it.

I decided to explore making the entire track out of wood, so I modeled a new track that could be built with thin strips of wood cut with the laser cutter. I also measured the total length of PVC piping we would need to support the track.

We went to Home Depot to pick up PVC and wood boards and brought them to the laser cutter.

The track pieces were put together with hot glue. Even though the track pieces came from a flat piece of wood, they became three-dimensional when attached to the track structure.

The mazes were also coming together. They were heavy and needed to spin freely. The steering wheel spun the maze using bike chain, sprockets, and a fabricated gear system built into the back of the maze.

The top of the track was installed and we tested that the ball would fall into the maze entrance through a hole at the end of the track.

The bottom of the track was installed which would catch the ball when it exited the maze. The separate tracks would come together and send the balls into a spiral descent.

The day before the event, we transported the exhibit to the event center and rebuilt it from the bottom up.

As we constructed the lift in the back to get the balls from the bottom to the top, we realized it wasn't going to work. The rubber material we chose for the lift belt was too flimsy to support a ball. We had to reconsider the entire track with little time to pivot.

This time, the track started at the front of the exhibit. We manually put the balls on the track to start the game. The balls were collected in a box at the end of the bottom track. We repurposed all of the original track pieces to construct the new track.

Finally put together, it was still bright even with the lights on.

The next day, attendees of the Maker Faire started to stream in. We used blacklighting to illuminate the maze, track, and decorations that were painted with fluorescent paint.

We took turns staffing the exhibit during the 3-day event. Lines formed quickly with players who wanted a shot at solving the maze. The racing aspect was a hit and many players wanted to play multiple times to improve their speed.

The crowd level and attention on the game grew and the lines got longer. The mazes handled differently due to variance in the construction. One side was easier than the other, so wanting to play on both sides, and ultimately waiting in two lines, was common.

It was a blast to delight players of all ages with a visually-attractive exhibit that was consistently fun.

The exhibit won the Editor's Choice award for its continued popularity, especially with the kids.