Machine pops balloon… in most convoluted way possible (300 steps)

A team of engineers at Purdue University have created a machine to accomplish the simple task of popping a ballon... in the most over-engineered way possible.

The machine was an entry in this year’s Rube Goldberg Machine Contest -- where teams compete to design a machine that uses the most complex process to complete a simple task.

While some put a stamp on an envelope, screw in a light bulb or made a cup of coffee in 20 or more steps, this winning beauty takes a convoluted 300 steps to pop a balloon.

It was built by the Purdue Society of Professional Engineers and took 5,000 hours over six months to design and build. They should have got Wallace and Gromit in to help.