Balloon Launch '98 had quite a few goals and regulations. Engineering Design II requires all students to take part in a group project to design and construct a water balloon launcher. The real target of this assignment is deeper understanding of what time and effort goes into any design and any group activity. Simply stated, the contest is a taste of the real world; a small one, but real nonetheless.
The Rules
Specifically, the assignment had the following requirements. Each group should be four members strong. They must design a launcher capable of launching a one-half pound water balloon between twenty-five and fifty yards. It must have a volume of no more than ten cubic feet, measuring the longest distance in each dimension. Collapsible designs are acceptable as long as each part is interconnected. The entire launcher may weigh no more than thirty pounds, excluding stakes and other weighting devices. The water balloon must go through projectile motion. No group member may be standing within ten feet of the launcher during launch. Neither fluid compression nor combustion devices may be used as they are unsafe in the hands of college students. The launchers may not be "tested" in on-campus living areas. Any last minute judgements by the contest adjudicators, regarding safety, weight and size penalties, or other disqualifications and penalties, are final (i.e. if you whine to the professor, you get an F).
The actual contest consists of a single ellimination tournament; the winners of which receive an 'A' on the design half of the assignment. During each round of the tournament two teams will compete as follows. Both teams will move the other team's target within the roped off area. The teams may launch as many practice shots as they can within a two minute setup and practice time frame. Following that, the teams will launch as many balloons as they can at the ten foot squared target and two foot squared bullseye, constructed of PVC pipe and wood, repectively. The group must stop launching at the end of the five minute period or once ten ballons have been launched. Balloons that burst in mid-flight count as launched balloons. Groups recieve one point for each balloon that lands in the target. Bouncing or rolling shots are marked from where they first hit land. Reinforcing balloons is acceptable.
