As part of EID103, my group was tasked with designing and creating a scale model to compete in The World Championship of Punkin Chunkin. This competition was created to see who could hurl a pumpkin the furthest, with the use of massive machines.

To begin, we researched several designs. Our teacher, Professor Lima, suggested we hold a competition within our group, and created separate acrylic models of different designs, to aid in choosing a final design. Alex Novosolovand I settled on the Floating axle King Arthur trebuchet, a complicated design with multiple axis of rotation, and a movable cart.

We created the following model:

Our model got surprising results. When tossing Jelly beans, they flew a max distance of 60 feet, or the distance to my associate in the above picture. The limiting factor in its range was actually the ceiling, as it prevented the ammunition from achieving proper height.

Aside from the acrylic model, I was heavily involved in the initial design of the trebuchet, as well as material selection, and the construction of our final model. Bellow are some pictures showing the development of the project.

To find out more about our group's work, please check here!