String Thrower Prototype

Background & Inspiration

A couple years back while watching a Cody's Lab Video I was introduced to the concept of actively supported structures and "String throwers", after watching Bruce's video (Below) a string thrower was added to my list.

My string Thrower

While watching the string thrower video I was thinking to myself, hey, I can make this, and I can make this do cooler things, using more powerful motors will provide more range and adding some servos to induce an oscillation into the string as as well as a control direction could result in some pretty awesome effects. I could link the servo to music or if I can find a way to power it include LED lights on the string. Combining all of these things with some long exposure photography would be pretty interesting. Let alone the learning experience of making the thrower itself.

Also given that the string thrower is effectively the same mechanism within an electric Nerf gun, there is also nothing stopping it from, with very little modifications from being used to pelt all sorts of things across the room either directed at my siblings or roommates.

And so the specifications started to develop:

Motors: Quadcopter motors with speed controllers, spring mounted

Battery: Lithium Polymer (for easy use with ESC's and motors)

Servos: Plastic/metal gear hobby servos

The prototype

Some of the above was lying around so a quick prototype was bashed together and mounted on 3030 Aluminium T slot.

This was, with some help, able to "Throw" a length of string without it being in a loop.

After this I got a new 3D printer and was able to print some guides & better spinners. The string would stay spinning for a couple seconds before eventually getting caught where the loop was joined, the foam on the spinners was a little on the softer side and was shredding itself.

I've proved my concept and was able to "Throw String". I will get around to sitting down and doing a proper re-design of the guide mechanism and adding a pistol grip for the version 2.0 string thrower. At the same time I will make it modular so I can throw whatever I want.

I don't expect anyone to be reading this, so if you are... that's awesome.

I'll post an update once the next version is working...

~ Chris