Option 1 Pegboard

The concept is a modification of the image that Yvette sent to us. The design would include a pegboard with track pieces that have the pegs attached to them. The children can then take out and move the tracks around to create their different runs.

We tried this pegboard idea on a small-scale in order to avoid having to go back to magnets that were already proving very difficult in our first concept design due to the correct strength and size being hard to find.

Option 2 Magnetic Board

We were given a concept which conceptualized magnetically-attached tubes connected to a large vertical surface where gravity assisted marbles would pass through the tubes. Examples of these designs are shown below. This design was intended for older children, so to adjust the concept for younger children we had to ensure the system was not too tall, the pieces wouldn’t be a choking hazard, and that everything could be easily disinfected.

With these modifications in mind, we came up with a concept design. In order to stick to a very similar design as the one sent to us by our client (seen in Figure A below), we decided to use PVC piping for the track pieces. The PVC would allow us to have a lot of freedom when it came to colors, different shapes and lengths of track pieces. We also planned to cut some of the PVC in half, length-wise, so that way the children could see the vehicle rolling down it.

Through research, we found the image (in Figure B below) of a system very similar to the design we were looking at. From this image, we decided to use a similar method to attach the PVC to a magnet that could be attached to the wall. We planned to use wooden block supports that would be glued to the PVC and have embedded magnets inside of the blocks. The embedding once again helps with the constraint of the system needing to be safe, as the children couldn't pry them loose, but also helped limit the leverage the PVC would have on the magnet that may cause the magnet to come off the board on its own.

We also planned to use sheet metal like the image in Figure A below, attached to a board of wood that would have a freestanding frame; allowing the system to be movable. Due to the freestanding frame desired, and striving to meet the client's request for many children to be able to play at once we decided we could make the system double-sided with a piece of sheet metal on either side. In order for the design to work with the younger age group, we determined we wanted the system to be long, but not tall. A height of 36 inches became our standard for the height based off of the average height of a child between the ages of one and two years old, and 48 inches became our desired length to allow multiple children access at the same time.

Testing

We ordered and received materials to make a prototype for this design; we used our previous experience from the testing of magnets to determine which types of magnets we thought would work best for our design. We also ordered 4-inch-diameter PVC (a large enough size for vehicles to go through that will not be a choking hazard). While this did not sound like a problem at the time, when we received this diameter of PVC, we understood the miscalculation of that choice. To see more information on the prototype and testing of this system please view the "Magnetic Board Testing 1" sub-page under the "Proof of Concept" tab.