Trampoline Challenge Overview

Objective

Create a trampoline strong enough to bounce heavy objects, including a car or boat.

Background

• Inspired by a challenge from the How Ridiculous YouTube channel.
• Conceptualized and designed by the team, with a mat made of Kevlar and supported by 144 garage door springs.

Design and Construction

• Kevlar mat for durability, similar to bulletproof vests.
• 144 garage door springs, each supporting approximately 450 lbs.
• Designed through CAD and dynamic analysis.

Experiment Setup

• Conducted on a tower in Australia.
• Scheduled 10 drops: five for each participant's channel.

Drop Test Highlights

1. Single Bowling Ball vs. Watermelon

   • Used as initial tests.
   • Watermelon leveraged for its visual impact on the channel.

2. Mass Multi-Drop

   • 20 bowling balls by their channel.
   • 20 watermelons by the team, demonstrating significant smashing impact.

3. Atlas Stone vs. Water Balloons

   • Tested with a 66 lb Atlas stone.
   • Emphasis on sound and visual feedback from trampoline.

4. Car Drop

   • Car was heavier and dropped from a higher elevation than originally analyzed.
   • Successfully bounced the car without significant damage.

5. Boat Drop

   • Experiment followed the successful car drop.
   • Highlighted durability and effective design.

Personal Insights

• Experience reminiscent of past professional work at NASA and Apple.
• Emphasized importance of computer-aided design and analysis.

Conclusion

• The trampoline's successful tests highlighted engineering prowess.
• The experiment concluded with the car being bounced, inspiring awe and defining success of the project.

Observations from Australia

• Notable cultural experiences and environmental observations.
• Positive review of the Australian experience and hospitality.

Final Note

The experiments demonstrated the possibility of creating highly resilient structures through advanced design and analysis, building community-engaging content with innovative approaches.