| Level 1 - A gentle start |
Colin's Solution, $66 |
| Here the rope and perfectly placed metal sheet act like a damped spring, absorbing most of the armadillo's momentum. The armadillo never truly comes to a rest, but he moves so slow that he exits all the same. Brilliant! |
| Level 2 - Mind the gap |
miw's Solution, $140 |
| While straight metal sheets end up destroying the structure, this lowered metal sheet combination is a winner. The lower placement of these metal sheets create a smaller net force when they drop to their minimum height, and working like a damped spring the metal sheets oscillate less each cycle. |
| Level 3 - Void 1 |
Andrés Fortier's Solution, $142 |
| Just four pieces are required to get the armadillo home in this amazing solution. Together the four pieces go through a wave motion with the first metal sheet acting as a diving board and the second metal sheet acting like a damped spring, similar to Colin's solution in level 1. Economical and off-the-wall! |
| Level 4 - Stop |
Todd Berkebile's Solution, $80 |
| All this level needs is one metal sheet door, carefully placed to fall on the rapidly moving armadillo at just the right time. |
| Level 5 - Drop |
Ruddigger's "Drop Rope", $194 |
| In this unlikely solution the added rope falls and imparts some momentum to the connected cloth and rope. When the armadillo collides with the catcher, the added rope absorbs just enough of the momentum to get the rest of the catcher below the breaking point. |
| Level 6 - Void 2 |
Toa the Boa's tweak of Peter Thoman's Solution, $172 |
| This roller coaster has no brakes! The smallest of metal catchers provides low friction and allows the armadillo to slide between two metal rods at the edge of the exit portal. |
| Level 7 - Weak bridge |
Ørjan Flatset's Solution, $380 |
| Two parallel cables, one rope and another rope with one metal rod, have just enough strength to keep this bridge from breaking. Having the cable aligned asymmetrically changes the timing of the initial downward oscillation of the segments of the bridge, giving them less of a chance to combine in an downward breaking force. A precisely timed falling metal sheet gives the armadillo plenty of momentum to reach the tiny welded catcher. |
| Level 8 - Overhead slide |
Jonathan's tweak of Ørjan Flatseth's "Sheep lift", $142 |
| This lift has a tight rope connection between the upper slide and metal rod, creating a brake in what would ordinarily be just a cable holding up a catcher. |
| Level 9 - Void 3 |
Peter Thoman's tweak of Pink Panther's "Clever v3", $360 |
| This roller coaster is made even cheaper with two little pieces of rope added, and the catcher still manages to slide over them without difficulty. A precisely timed falling metal sheet accelerates the armadillo, and he makes it all the way to a braking dip in the metal rod coaster railing right below the exit. |
| Level 10 - See-saw |
Todd Berkebile's Solution, $70 |
| The added metal sheet looks and works like an upside down hanging mass. It starts out aligned straight up, where it pulls the structure's center of mass to the right of the fulcrum. With enough force to overcome static friction, the seesaw rotates clockwise and the armadillo rolls to the exit. As added metal sheet goes down, the end-node that the added metal sheet is connected to moves down and to the right. This gets the top of the metal sheet out of equilibrium, causing it to fall to the left where it will serve as a braking wall. |
| Level 11 - Lob |
Eric's tweak of McKack's/BenS' Solution, $402 |
| A small length of rope tying down the launcher delays the launch at a critical moment, allowing more momentum to be transferred to the armadillo. This sends the armadillo higher and further to the right, where a seesaw bridge and its precarious welded capture await. |
| Level 12 - Void 4 |
BenS' tweak of DEADBEEF's and others' Solutions, $344 |
| This simple looking roller coaster is quite wobbly, with the rails hanging loose and the catcher's cloth tied together with rope. Nonetheless careful placement of each segment results in just enough stability to keep the armadillo in place and just enough dampening of momentum to keep him from going off the lower right edge. |
| Level 13 - Lift |
Todd Berkebile's Solution, $90 |
| Just a fraction of one metal rod plus an armadillo is enough to slowly bring down the lift. Placement of the rod on the right side of the center of mass of the lift helps keep the top metal sheet angled down to the right. |
| Level 14 - Nudge |
Toa the Boa's Solution, $40 |
| A falling rod collides with support rods on the bridge, compressing it at a key moment. Acting like a tightly wound spring, the bridge quickly returns to equilibrium as it pushes up, giving the armadillo just enough extra momentum to carry him over the hill. Amazing! |
| Level 15 - Void 5 |
Peter Thoman's tweak of Todd Berkebile's Solution, $236 |
| This economical roller coaster uses a luge sled catcher. When the sled gets to the far edge, the forward metal rod falls over, latching the sled in place. Cleverly done! |
| Level 16 - Trigger |
Bob's tweak of priest's/BenS' Solution, $334 |
| A precisely placed metal sheet drops at a flexible point in the trigger, releasing the rocket lift. A small bridge with a "resting on" catcher keeps the armadillo in the exit portal without truly stopping. |
| Level 17 - Catapult |
Toa the Boa's Solution, $564 |
| Like a trap door, the metal sheet falls to the left where it acts as both a dampening spring and a catcher. This deceptively simple looking solution is actually a masterpiece of placement and timing, and slight variations are either more expensive, don't catch the armadillo, or break the rope. |
| Level 18 - Void 6 |
BenS' tweak of Rob Garfield's 4th Solution, $1080 |
| Here's the first level solution that uses an impulse sling/GPE launcher. The falling projectile doesn't have both rods at full length, yet the collision generates ample impulse without breaking the rope. |
| Level 19 - Golf |
Peter Thoman's Solution, $170 |
| A falling metal sheet projectile gives the armadillo enough impulse to just barely reach the catcher. |
| Level 20 - Scoop |
Toa the Boa's tweak of BenS' Solution, $1038 |
| A chain of carefully placed metal rods generates enough rotation to get the armadillo up to the upper bridge. There a complex suspended catcher awaits, where it first slows the armadillo, catches him, and stretches to the exit portal. |
| Level 21 - Void 7 |
Peter Thoman's Solution, $308 |
| Here is another economical roller coaster that uses a falling metal sheet for impulse. A suspension rope keeps the track properly elevated and creates a braking dip at the exit. |
| Level 22 - Croquet |
Peter Thoman's Solution, $80 |
| A smartly placed falling metal sheet collides with the armadillo such that he arrives directly under the falling rocket structure. For a brief time the armadillo stops as the rocket structure bounces on him. After the timer destroys the rocket, the rocket structure finds itself out of equilibrium and it falls to the right, leaving the armadillo to roll to safely the exit. |
| Level 23 - Guillotine |
Paul Kumar's Solution, $1300 |
| Rather than modifying the sliding metal sheet this solution employs a rubber cannon connected to an anchor point. This launches the armadillo completely over the structure, as the metal sheet slides down and becomes a catcher. |
| Level 24 - Void 8 |
BenS' tweak of Colin's and Others Solutions, $156 |
| This metal rod seesaw has a tricky counterweight of two metal rods. They begin draped over the top of the seesaw in a position to support counterclockwise rotation. The structure begins to rotate quickly as the metal rods flip underneath the seesaw and hit the edge of the catcher. This slows the seesaw's momentum, keeping the armadillo from going far around and getting knocked out of the catcher. |
| Level 25 - Motor |
Rob's tweak of Brian and Others Solutions, $504 |
| Here a long bridge both immobilizes the rocket powered wheel and keeps a suspended catcher in place. A falling metal sheet gives the armadillo enough impulse to get him over the wheel. |
| Level 26 - Big wheel |
BenS' Solution, $110 |
| One piece of cloth pushes armadillo up to the top until he falls, and two other pieces of cloth await to slow and catch him. The timing is critical as it doesn't work on the armadillo's first time around, but the second time he exits before he falls out of the center. |
| Level 27 - Void 9 |
Quinn's Solution, $198 |
| Although the cloth catcher is weak, the armadillo also lands on the endpoint of two metal rods. Those rods transfer a sizable amount of momentum to two metal rods which serve as a very tight spring, and the rest of the momentum is absorbed by the anchor points. Quite amazing! |
| Level 28 - Hill 1 |
LFRmy's tweak of Brian's Solution, $62 |
| Here is a classic example of mechanical advantage using a ramp with merely a fold of cloth acting as a pusher. The force of the rocket is lowered by having it angled up into the bottom metal rod rail, and this keeps the cloth pushing with a force that is below the static friction amount that would cause it slide underneath the armadillo. |
| Level 29 - Under and over |
BenS' tweak of ToddB, AvidFan's, and others' Solutions, $324 |
| A metal sheet falls to the left beyond the ramp such that the armadillo banks off the end of it! Quite a feat, as there clearly is not much surface area to aim for. A suspended catcher awaits by the portal that employs one metal rod to reduce stretching below the portal. |
| Level 30 - Void 10 |
Ørjan Flatseth's tweak of Toa's Solution, $500 |
| Like Level 21, this is a roller coaster design that uses a falling metal sheet for impulse. A piece of cloth awaits at the exit. The sled for supports the chapter on the side. |
| Level 31 - Hill 2 |
McKack's Solution, $144 |
| Here a rocket and a piece of cloth create a self-propelled sled. One metal rod near the exit serves as a simple braking device. |
| Level 32 - Jump |
MattO's tweak of William Mauritzen's Solution, $1400 |
| A massive swinging hammer structure power's the armadillo all the way to the exit. |
| Level 33 - Void 11 |
Ben S.'s tweak of Peter Thoman's Solution, $306 |
| A flimsy catcher in mid-air takes the armadillo all the way home. Asymmetry in the cloth and rope keeps the armadillo from hopping out the right side when the catcher first falls down. |
| Level 34 - Quickly |
Jonny Henderson's Solution, $19 |
| Here the weight of the rope (with the timer on it) combined with weight of one metal rod is enough to pull the trap door below the horizontal. There it stays after the timer runs out. |
| Level 35 - Swing 1 |
Bob's Solution, $430 |
| Two undersized metal rods slowly fall to the left where they latch the catcher. This is no small feat! Longer metal rods tend to pass over the top of the catcher without latching it. Also placing the metal rods in slightly different positions can make them go down too quickly or fall in opposite directions. |
| Level 36 - Void 12 |
McKack tweak of BFC's Solution, $516 |
| A powerful anchored rubber cannon sends the armadillo all the way to the exit. The surprisingly strong and inexpensive rope gap catcher is constructed between one metal sheet and one piece of cloth. |
| Level 37 - Pulley |
BenS' tweak of Brian's Solution, $182 |
| A basket connected to a pulley gives the armadillo a free ride. A metal sheet and the pulley wheel work together to jostle the armadillo out of the basket and direct him down the metal sheet into a small cloth catcher. |
| Level 38 - Wall |
Quintinon's tweak of Todd Berkebile's Solution, $1080 |
| A simple combination of a falling metal sheet for impulse and falling metal rods for destruction get the armadillo to the exit. |
| Level 39 - Void 13 |
ringnir's tweak of Ørjan Flatseth's Solution, $450 |
| A resilient angled table structure serves as both a dampening spring and catcher. Bizarre! |
| Level 40 - Rocket jump |
Toa the Boa's tweak of Timo Hakala's Solution, $560 |
| Perfectly placed metal sheets redirect both the armadillo and rocket all the way to the exit. Masterful! |
| Level 41 - Two steps |
Mozzie's tweak of Natren's Solution, $902 |
| A carefully constructed metal rod cable pulley drops the armadillo, gathers him in the cloth catcher again, and gets the armadillo over both obstacles to the exit. Perfect! |
| Level 42 - Void 14 |
Joe Naylor's Solution, $920 |
| This was the first metal rod pulley cable solution that I ever saw. Although it starts slow, it gains a significant amount of momentum and flings the armadillo up to the exit. A work of art. |
| Level 43 - Cascade |
Ryo_Sangnoir's Solution, $148 |
| A metal sheet with rope support serve as a destructive ramp, breaking a hole in the wall and directing the armadillo to the exit. Nice work. |
| Level 44 - It's not Krypton Factor |
Joe Naylor's tweak of Colin's Solution, $1942 |
| A triangular falling metal rod breaks through the platform and gets the armadillo to the catcher. |
| Level 45 - Void 15 |
Ørjan Flatseth's tweak of miaro's Solution, $522 |
| Two compressed rubber cannons work together to send the armadillo all the way towards the bottom of the exit. A unique combination of metal sheet, rope, and cloth dampen the impact without breaking and hold the armadillo in the exit boundaries. |
| Level 46 - Raise |
Stevez's tweak of Peter Thoman's Solution, $572 |
| An upside-down balance rotates gently around to catch the armadillo as he is dropped off. It is no small feat that the armadillo is carefully caught, the built-in balance arm is pushed out of the way, and a flexible catcher swings the armadillo around to the exit. Not a quick solution! |
| Level 47 - Over and under |
BenS' Solution, $1606 |
| Here a dual rubber cannon with rope and metal bars launch the armadillo towards the cloth. A metal sheet placed at a weak point in the cloth quickly breaks open the barrier, and the armadillo flies over to the catcher. The armadillo loses most of its momentum by impacting with a cloth endnode, and with its remaining momentum it makes a few small bounces straight up before exiting. |
| Level 48 - Void 16 |
BenS' Solution tweak of Peter Thoman's Solution, $1220 |
| A rubber cannon launcher uses several metal rods and rope to increase the inertia of its back endnode. This provides more momentum at a lower cost than a rubber cannon with its back endnode attached to the nearest anchor point. The armadillo loses nearly all of its momentum by impacting a cloth endnode tied to anchor point, and from here it gently falls into the catcher. |
| Level 49 - Loop |
Todd Berkebile's Solution, $170 |
| Falling metal rods break a hole in the ramp, allowing the armadillo to roll past the ramps and fall onto the rocket catcher. One metal rod serves as a breaking device for the rocket catcher, keeping the armadillo in the exit zone. |
| Level 50 - Swing 2 |
BenS' Solution, $810 |
| A perfectly aligned double rubber cannon pushes the armadillo to a braking cloth at an anchor node. He rolls off onto a metal sheet, amazingly bouncing straight up a few times before nearly coming to a complete stop and exiting. The swing approach was simply too expensive! |