An improvised engineering solution that uses an absurd number of disparate parts to accomplish a simple task. The term describes temporary repairs or jury-rigged mechanisms held together by tape, wire, and luck. It implies that the design is both clever and highly prone to failure.
Heard on the job
The night shift rigged up a Heath Robinson bracket out of scrap pipe and zip ties to keep the sensor aligned.
Insider tip
British engineers use Heath Robinson, while North American engineers will call the exact same contraption a Rube Goldberg machine.
Also heard as
- jury-rigged
- Rube Goldberg