eXtreme Climber
Members: Eric, Doug and Dave
Prototype 1 - The Shmock-Up
Our design was the mountain man shoot and climb. We went for two major functions on this prototype: shooting, and rope collection / climbing action. On the far left is the shooting mechanism. It consists of a spring loader launcher w/ a cam and slot locking and release mechanism. Concealed in the legs is the spool for winding up the line. Attached to the spool is a linkage to the arms. This linkage attempts to mimic a climbing motion. Additionally, a mechanism was conceived to release the tension on the spool so the man could freely descend or descend via parachute. The post sticking up out of the knees will disengage the gear train, allowing the spool to spin freely. The form of the climber is still crude but we hope to improve on it in later prototypes. Also due to constraints the shooting and climbing mechanisms were developed independently. They will be incorporated in future prototypes.
Prototype 2 - The Interim Prototype
The second prototype consisted of our eXtreme climber action figure and his bazooka grappling hook launcher. The launcher is a PVC tube with 2 springs wired together inside. A wooden dowel rod projectile is pushed down into the cannon. The projectile has a notch which will be utilized in the future by a locking pin and firing mechanism. The current setup can shoot the projectile at least 12 feet into the air.We have identified several of the challenging aspects unique to this toy design. First, a mechanism for recoiling the line after the projectile was shot still needs to be developed. Also the team has recently become concerned about how to get the figure down after he has climbed the rope. Another challenge is to integrate the free spooling of our line with the shooting action all in one button press. Finally we need to figure out a gear train and motor setup to produce the climbing action.
For our final prototype, we will have a toy that shoots and climbs. If possible we also want the toy to release and perform a controlled descent back down. We want to have a single button to press that will shoot the projectile and allow the line to free spool at the same time. Additionally, we hope to make the launcher look aesthetically pleasing. Our goal is to make at least one vacuum formed part to cover our exposed mechanisms on the launcher.
Prototype 3 - The Final Prototype
Watch the video of this project
