Nut-launching competition using catapults constructed by first year students of Industrial Organisation Engineering
Nut-launching competition using catapults constructed by first year students of Industrial Organisation Engineering
Nut-launching competition using catapults constructed by first year students of Industrial Organisation Engineering
The catapults were designed and constructed during the project semester and the students have been able to put into practice their theoretical knowlege acquired during the first semester of the degree.
Mondragon University's Engineering faculty applies a practical and innovative learning methodology in its degrees: Project Based Learning (PBL). The methodology means that, every semester, the students carry out a group, multidisciplinary project in which they put into practice all the technical knowledge they have acquired in the subjects of that semester.
Hence, the student project of the first year of the degree in Industrial Organisation at Mondragon Goi Eskola Politeknikoa consisted of designing and constructing some wooden catapults as an alternative to the plastic toys that are purchased during the Christmas period. The challenge for the students was to construct some catapults capable of launching a nut into a basket placed 5 metres away. The subjects taken during the first semester were mathematics, graphic design, basic computing, physics and methodological foundations. This enabled the students to design the catapult in 3D, construct a prototype, calculate the optimum launch parameters by applying their knowledge of kinematics, and develop an IT program to capture the launch data and identify the winning team.
On the last day of the semester, the teaching staff organised a nut-launching competition with the catapults in order to complete the project and end the semester in a fun way.
Zorionak (congratulations) to everyone for their excellent work!
