This beautiful robot sits 21 inches tall when its linkages are compressed and its spring-loaded grabbers are folded in.

 The modules consist of two different four-bar linkages.  The first linkage is designed to extend out to reach the ball door and pull it open, and to compress down to complete a funnel, which funnels the food balls into the round slot on the start box.  This linkage is actuated by a water-jetted  gear on the arm driven by a pinion gear on a motor with a  125:1 gearbox.

 When the linkage compresses it connects the front of the car, which has part of the funnel on each side:

To keep the balls that did not fall into the starting box from getting caught under the robot, there is a two piece skirt (to allow the wiring to come through):

The second linkage was designed to extend out to the level of the middle of the second-level of noodles and grab a noodle in a tension grabber.  It is actuated as the first linkage is actuated.

 The noodle grabber was able to successfully pull a second level noodle out of the forest and hold on to it while parking over the river.

the solid model

 BOTTOM

 TOP

 FRONT

  LEFT

 RIGHT