See descriptions of past and present design competitions below. Some of the original testing parameters and positions on the day’s schedule may have changed to improve the quality of the competitions. Listed devices are constructed prior to the day of the competition. Only the Impromptu competition involves construction on the day of the event.

If anyone wishes to use these competition parameters for a local contest in your own school, feel free to do so.  You may need to devise your own testing methods.

First of the day:

simple materials and testing procedure

• Catapult (Introduced in 2001, repeated in 2004, 2007,2010, 2013, 2018, 2024)
• Medieval Wheels (Introduced in 2002, repeated in 2005, 2008, 2011, 2016)
• Musical Brakes (Introduced in 2003, repeated in 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2019)
• Popsicle Dragster (Introduced in 2014, repeated in 2017, 2022)

Not used after 2021:

• Electromagnet Speaker (Introduced in 2001, repeated in 2002, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2019)
• Tube Climber (Introduced in 2001, repeated in 2003, 2004, 2007,2010, 2012, 2014)
• Slow Drop (introduced in 2015, repeated in 2018)

Second of the day:

constructed on site

• Impromptu (annual with some changes)

Third of the day:

motorized with complicated motions or unusual applications 

• Right Angler (Introduced in 2002, repeated in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2024)
• Projectile Launcher (Introduced in 2004, repeated in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022)
• Ramp Climber (Introduced in 2014, repeated in 2016, 2019)
• Motor Speaker (Introduced in 2003, repeated in 2005, 2008, 2011,2014, 2017)