Engineering Design Process

Think about all the steps in the process.

Investigate
Design Brief
Define the Problem

Research

Act
Communicate
The Design
Redesign

Plan
Develop Possible
Solutions

Design
Specifications

Evaluate

Create

Test It Out!

Follow Your Plan

Build It!

Investigate
Design Brief, Define the Problem, Research

The task is to build a catapult that could launch a

marshmallow over the net on the tennis court.
The problem is that we must use at least one shoe
box, and any of these items; rubber band, paint stick,
Popsicle stick, plastic spoon, and duct tape.
When researching I found out that catapults are
over 2,000 years old. They originated in Rome and
were originally used for defence and war. Today our
catapults that we built were used for launching
marshmallows.

Plan
Develop Possible Solutions, Design Specification
Some of team Clockwork Catapults' possible
solutions were that we could have a hinge sort of
thing, we also thought of having something that would
"fling back" with a rubber band. That was the one we
chose. I also thought about using a balloon to propel
the arm of catapult. The one we chose had a rubber
band on the inside and we pulled the paint stick back
and the rubber band flung the "arm." Here are some
pictures.

Create
Follow Your Plan, Build It!
Our plan was to tape up a rubber band on the
inside of the box. We then taped it to the paint
stick. After that we stuck the paint stick through
the top of the box, added another paint stick, and
attached a spoon. After many tests, one or three
with two rubber bands that eventually broke the
bottom stick. we perfected the machine. It rocked.

Evaluate

Test It Out!
When we tested it was at first in the gym. Here is the
gym data;
Team
Avg Distance
Max, min, other.
The Simplicity
10.57m
Max: 10.57
Dominate
1.01m
Min: 1.01
Bow'dz
7.34m
Range: 9.56
Origins
2.22m
Mode N\A
Clockwork
1.81m
Median: 5.49
Catapults
Launchers
5.49m
Avg Total:
Shuttles
5.57m
4.86m
This is the tennis court data:
Team
Avg Distance
The Simplicity 7.04m
Dominate
3.85m
Bow'dz
5.02 m
Origins
3.90m
Clockwork
1.92m
Catapults
Launchers
3.40m
Shuttles
5.06m

Max, min, other.

Max: 7.04
Min: 1.92
Range: 5.12
Mode N\A
Median: 3.90
Avg Total:
4.31m

Act
Communicate the Design, Redesign
If I had one more hour I would add another rubber
band to the existing one. Another thing I would add or
do is to move the sticks backwards on the box. I
would also add another box, cut the top out of the
new box, and cut the bottom out of the old box.

It is backwards
but I think you
get the idea.
-Bella