EGR121: Engineering Innovation
Design Challenges
JAN 2020 - JUL 2020
Launching Device Design Challenge
In my sophomore design class, I worked with four other students to design and build a machine that could repeatedly, rapidly, and accurately shoot a ball into a receptacle. We were tasked with also making the system lightweight and low-cost.
After brainstorming solutions for a shooting mechanism, a trigger, and a receptacle, our final design consisted of a catapult made with PVC, a buckle trigger mechanism, and a receptacle made with PVC and netting.
Communicating with my teammates to determine what dimensions to use in the system, I created several design sketches to facilitate the build process. The catapult would be created by referencing the following sketches.
I then sketched the receptacle design to communicate a visual representation of our solution to my teammates prior to the building process.
Results: Our catapult shot a ball nine times over a distance of 23' 10" within a time frame of three minutes. The system weighed a total of 12.48 lbs. These quantities resulted in a score that placed our team second overall in the class.