"Projectile Launcher" Invention Challenge at the Rochester Museum and Science Center

Posted Jan 17, 2015 by Matt | Tags: news

Hey, Team Urban Siege fans in the Rochester, NY area. The Rochester Museum and Science Center has been running an exhibit for the last 6 months or so entitled the "Inventor Center". Every few months they have a different hands-on design challenge, and the latest one is right up our alley! It is a projectile launcher challenge, and we were contacted to help provide some content and advice for their exhibit. Among these, our first team trebuchet, Melon Felon, is on display in the exhibit space for inspiration! The exhibit just opened yesterday, and runs through the end of this school year, in mid-June. Go check it out and let us know what you think!

From the RMSC website:
"Lift it, Launch it, Let it Go!
Friday, January 16-Sunday, June 21, 2015
Saturdays, Sundays and school breaks: 10am-4:30pm; Monday-Friday: 2-4:30pm

Re-invent the perfect projectile launcher. Should it be a catapult, trebuchet, ballista, or something completely new? How far will it throw and how heavy can the objects be? How accurate can you make it? Challenge your friends and see who can create the best launcher. Content Partners: RIT and Team Urban Siege"

Go here to read more about the exhibit on the RMSC's website.

Tags: news

©2023 Matt DiFrancesco and/or Team Urban Siege unless otherwise specified. No reproduction of any content within this site for other than personal use (i.e. you will NOT reproduce anything here for monetary gain) is permitted without written permission from the team captain.

All material found within this site is to be used solely at the risk of the user. We will in no way be responsible for any incidents resulting from the use of said material. Please read our disclaimer before using any information found within this site.

Site optimized for viewing at resolutions of 1024x768 or greater on current versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome. Please report any viewing issues or broken links to info@teamurbansiege.com or use the contact form.

Disclaimer

All information found with this site or at other sites linked to from here is used at the sole risk of the user. Team Urban Siege and its members will be in no way responsible for any damage or injuries suffered from the use of this information.

Use "common sense" when operating trebuchets and catapults. Even little ones can be dangerous. Do not place anything you are not willing to lose in the plane of the arm rotation (this includes yourself, body parts, car windshields, cameras, etc). These catapults and trebuchets are capable of throwing just as far backwards as forwards, and the use of a backstop of some sort is recommended, though the use of one does not make the region behind it safe.

Also, just because the throw got away safely downrange does not mean the end of the danger. The arm is likely still swinging wildly along with the counterweight, and there is a sling whipping around. One thing many people fail to take into account is this sling; some people put a metal ring on the slip end of the sling and this ring can HURT when whipping around!

Have fun hurling, but please KEEP IT SAFE!!!