Question:
How to make a self propelled ping pong ball launcher?
mimi
2008-11-07 15:48:12 UTC
Design and build a self-propelled ping pong ball at the 3 ft. diameter target. The following rules apply:
The device must leave the starting line under its own power.
No strings or other attachments that allow human control of the device after it leaves the starting line will be allowed.
The device can have no dimension greater than 18 inches.
Travel and launch capabilities must be accomplished through the use of rubber bands only.
Any number and combination of rubber bands (not to exceed a #64 in size) may be used.
No part of the launcher may be left behind at the start line.
The device must launch the ping pong ball while in motion.
Only one shot per pass will be allowed.
Only sixty (60) seconds per shot will be allowed.
Halex brand 2-blue-star ping pong balls will be the official ball.
Four answers:
billrussell42
2008-11-07 15:56:17 UTC
you are missing some critical information.



How far does it have to travel before it launches the PP ball?



How far does it have to travel after that? What does it do at that point? stop and wait for human intervention? or automatically go back to the starting point? or what?



What does "per pass" mean?



How far away is the target?



Are you allowed battery operated electronics on the vehicle?



.
HyperDog
2008-11-07 16:09:00 UTC
Criminy, as an engineer, I'd have to go through the same steps that you should probably be doing.



Get a stack of blank sheets of paper, sit down and start thinking. As you meditate on each of the requirements and envision a thought about how each one can be satisified, write it down or roughly sketch it on the paper.



For example, when I start to think about the problem, I first envision some kind of wheeled vehicle (don't spend time reinventing good solutions like "the wheel"). Next I would think about ways to make it powered by a rubber band. After I solved that, at least on paper, then I'd try to come up with a way launch the ping pong ball, followed by a way to trigger the launch based on how far the vehicle had travelled.



Hint: rubber bands can be stretch-wrapped around an axle, or if the axle is too small in diameter, it can be built up with tape, or more securely, by installing a larger diameter cylinder on the axle. Likewise, a string or strong thread can be wrapped around the axle in the other direction, and used to pull on the trigger to the launcher. Adjust the length of the string to vary when in the vehicle's travel the trigger is activated.



Remember, about 80% of engineering involves THINKING, the rest usually goes pretty quickly.
HM
2008-11-07 16:17:56 UTC
I guess a motion sensor would count as human control? God I hate these kinds of competitions.They try to make you think in unconventional ways but they hinder your possibilities so much that they end up shooting down tons of creative ideas.
?
2016-05-26 12:13:07 UTC
heard that 1 but the other 3 were quality still starred tho x


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