Improving Egg Drop Vehicle Design: A Critique

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the design of an Egg-Drop Vehicle, emphasizing the importance of minimizing volume and mass while ensuring the egg remains intact after a 20-meter drop. Participants critique a proposed design and suggest that practical testing is essential for validation. Previous winning designs, such as using styrofoam, are mentioned as benchmarks, highlighting the need for innovative solutions. The consensus is to build and rigorously test the design to determine its effectiveness.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics principles related to impact and force.
  • Familiarity with materials science, particularly shock-absorbing materials.
  • Experience in prototyping and testing mechanical designs.
  • Knowledge of design iteration processes in engineering.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research effective shock-absorbing materials for impact resistance.
  • Learn about the principles of aerodynamics to enhance vehicle design.
  • Explore prototyping techniques for rapid design iteration.
  • Investigate testing methodologies for validating design performance under stress.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for engineering students, hobbyists in mechanical design, and educators looking to enhance hands-on learning experiences in physics and engineering principles.

zspace
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
The project requires me to build an Egg-Drop Vehicle that is ranked based on volume*mass (So ligher/smaller is better). And, of course, the egg can't break when dropped from 20 meters.

critique my design please: http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8872/eggdrop2.jpg



Any suggestions or flaws would be fine.

Last year's winner just put theirs in a bag of styrofoam, I think there's a better solution.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
Build and test it. If it works, its a great design. If not...
 
I agree with lewando, it's hard to tell what will happen based on your drawing. Your best bet is to build it and then drop it like 20 times to make sure it wasn't a fluke. :)
 

Similar threads

Egg Drop Design Challenge: Help Create a Design
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
25K
Building a Vehicle to Withstand 40ft Drop: Egg Drop
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
33K
Optimizing Toothpick Egg Drop Project Design
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
Egg Drop Project: Creative Designs with Limited Materials
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Physics involved in an egg-drop project
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
6K
High School Egg Safety Vehicle (Egg Drop Project in a car)
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
25K
Design a $40 Egg-Protecting Device for the Egg Drop Challenge
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
12K
High School The Great Egg Drop Contest: Design a Protection Device
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
32K
High School Egg Drop Project: Honors Physics
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
8K
High School Egg drop experiment design project
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
7K