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Basketball Catapult 2006

Objective:
Build a catapult out of any material that will launch a tennis ball through a hoop placed parallel with the floor. The hoop will have an inside diameter of 10" and its centerline will be 2' off the floor (measured @90 degrees from floor). The centerline of the basket will be measured 18' from the front-most part of the catapult with the lever arm in firing position. The backboard will only be 6" by 6" (HxL). UK SAE will provide all the projectiles.

Rules:

  • Catapult must have a firing arm (no slingshots allowed)
  • Catapult must have a trigger mechanism to release the arm from a loaded position
  • Catapult must fit in a 1.5'x1.5'x1.5' box
  • Catapult must be adjustable to fire between 15 and 21 feet in case of a tie.
  • Maximum of three attempts in competition round
  • No practice rounds.

    • Judging:
    The judging will begin at 10:00am and final results will be determined after the competition is over. Competition will start at 11:00 am. No new entries will be accepted after 11:30 am. The judges¹ decisions are subjective and final.

  • 5 points are awarded for each basket
  • 3 points are awarded if it hits the rim
  • 1 point if it hits the backboard
  • NO combination hits will be allowed, only the highest hit will be scored, i.e. backboard to rim to basket will be worth 5 points, not 8
  • 3 additional points are available on the neatness and workmanship of your machine, and are awarded on a scale to be determined by the judges
  • 18 points is the maximum score
  • In the event of a tie for first place, sudden death overtime will be in place. The backboard will be moved forward OR backward from the firing line up to three feet is determined by a coin toss. Each team will get three more attempts and the team with the most points at the end of overtime wins. In the event of a double overtime, the rules for overtime apply.

    Prizes:
    Grand Prize: $25 gift certificate to BestBuy
    Second Place : $10 gift certificate to BestBuy

    Contact Information
    Jared Wright (859) 588-5824 jaredwright@uky.edu

    Sponsored by the student section of the Society of Engineers

    		• Basketball Catapult