The south-pointing chariot
Engineers (Advanced), mission M6 Space Machines, lesson 2 of 6.
Hook
Chinese engineers built a compass without magnets 1,800 years ago. With gears!
Fair test
Drive a square path. Does the pointer still face the same way? Measure the error.
Bonus challenge
Navigate to a “Mars base” across the room using only the pointer.
The build
- 🧭 South-Pointing Chariot: Push it anywhere — the pointer keeps pointing the same way. No magnets, just gears! (level 5 of 5, about 75 minutes, 34 steps)