This project was all about catapults. When we think about catapults we are reminded of the stories we were told as little kids with castles, dragons and catapults throwing balls of fire! Although these stories were told about the middle ages, these catapults were actually known to exist way before that time. So, what exactly is a catapult? Well, a catapult is usually described as a machine that stores energy and then quickly, or rapidly releases it to fire a projectile all at once. Catapults were originally produced from the idea of a crossbow, it’s just a very much enlarged version of a crossbow. Catapults first appeared in China in the 3rd and 4th century BC where it looked very similar to a crossbow. In this project, we designed and built a catapult in groups of about four or five. The mathematics that were applied were calculating all the components of projectile motion which include initial horizontal velocity, vertical velocity, vertical and horizontal displacement, and the angle that the object was thrown at. From the art side of the project we used design thinking and concepts to create the whole catapult. We then used this concept to start an idea chart and drew out prototypes and sketches of how we thought our finished product would look.
When we started building our catapult we started with a base for which we used a pallet because we thought it would be sturdy and able to hold a good amount of weight, which would be the arms and supports. Next we decided that it would be efficient to put wheels on the bottom of the base so we could roll it around and make transportation easier. We had two single planks of wood going straight up the middle of the pallet and we put the arm in between them. The arm was made of a strip of wood with a strainer spoon tied and nailed into the end of it. We thought that the angle of the spoon would make it easy for the ball to fly out at a higher angle, but we ended up being wrong about it. We also put two supports that rested up against the arms at an angle to that they wouldn’t bend down when we pulled the catapult basket down far. We added two eye lit hooks at the edge of the pallet and at the end of the arm to attach a bungee which we used as our suspension. If we had a chance to redo this project I would definitely use a different suspension in place of the bungee. I think I would’ve used surgical tubing instead because it was easy to stretch and went farther without wearing out. Besides that, I feel like we had a really strong idea for the structure of the catapult but we didn't really think through the suspension part of it. Overall, I wish I had had a different group to work with but I am glad that we did get to pull through and make an almost-functioning device. I feel like next time, there should definitely be more communication within our groups and more talking about the plans ahead. This project has impacted me to have more patience when it comes having a lot of responsibility put on you. I hope that in the future I get more opportunities like this to show my abilities.
When we started building our catapult we started with a base for which we used a pallet because we thought it would be sturdy and able to hold a good amount of weight, which would be the arms and supports. Next we decided that it would be efficient to put wheels on the bottom of the base so we could roll it around and make transportation easier. We had two single planks of wood going straight up the middle of the pallet and we put the arm in between them. The arm was made of a strip of wood with a strainer spoon tied and nailed into the end of it. We thought that the angle of the spoon would make it easy for the ball to fly out at a higher angle, but we ended up being wrong about it. We also put two supports that rested up against the arms at an angle to that they wouldn’t bend down when we pulled the catapult basket down far. We added two eye lit hooks at the edge of the pallet and at the end of the arm to attach a bungee which we used as our suspension. If we had a chance to redo this project I would definitely use a different suspension in place of the bungee. I think I would’ve used surgical tubing instead because it was easy to stretch and went farther without wearing out. Besides that, I feel like we had a really strong idea for the structure of the catapult but we didn't really think through the suspension part of it. Overall, I wish I had had a different group to work with but I am glad that we did get to pull through and make an almost-functioning device. I feel like next time, there should definitely be more communication within our groups and more talking about the plans ahead. This project has impacted me to have more patience when it comes having a lot of responsibility put on you. I hope that in the future I get more opportunities like this to show my abilities.