Catapult
This catapult was prototyped and assembled using laser-cut MDF, rubber bands, and dowels. The catapult was to launch a projectile through a hole and onto a target. The projectile was an accelerometer encased in an Easter egg.
My MATLAB script used the hole and target locations along with the mass of the projectile and the elastic constant of the bands to determine the optimal angle at launch, the distance to pull the rubber bands, and the energy required to launch using a closed-form solution. My code can be found in my GitHub Catapult repository.
MDF prototype (excluding rubber bands). The circular cutouts and dowel were used to adjust the launch angle.
Video of the projectile on launch day. My team was one of three in the MechE major to accurately calculate a launch angle and the energy required to travel through the hole and reach the target.