Tennis Ball Launcher

The first project was to design a tennis ball launcher that would meet the following restrictions and requirements:

SCOPE:
Design and construct a tennis ball-firing device to hit a target that is 25 ft away and 2 feet above ground.

RESTRICTIONS:
1. The device must be constructed entirely of items found at your local hardware store.
2. Teams can not spend more than $8 dollars on the construction of the device.
3. The device dimensions must not exceed H 18” x W 18” x D 20” (strictly enforced).
4. Other than loaded springs, rubber bands, and similar devices, no batteries, electrical motors or external power sources are allowed.
5. The device should securely sit on a concrete ground during firing.
6. The device must have a trigger mechanism capable of being “cocked” and then manually fired.
7. Up to 6 tennis balls can be loaded in your device as long as they are fired one at a time.
8. One or two team members can hold the device in place during the firing, but team members can not interfere with its operation other than cocking and pulling the trigger.
9. You should use relevant scientific knowledge on trajectory and mechanical design.

We went through a number of possibilities during this project and we ended up making a trebuchet. We modified it towards the end so that it resembled a catapult as well.

Here is a photo of the finished product.


Well....let's fire away!!!