How to Build a Supersonic Trebuchet

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 พ.ค. 2024
  • What do you get when you combine ancient designs with modern engineering? An exciting new way to convert time and money into heat and noise! I'm not sure whether to call this a catapult or a trebuchet, but it's definitely the superior siege engine.
    3d drawing of the arm: grabcad.com/library/supersoni...
    Simulation tool: github.com/Ennsye/CDT
    Instruction manual for the simulation tool: www.overleaf.com/read/ftdshxy...
    There are several safety problems present in this video. I would hope it goes without saying, but the lack of eye protection and proximity to the line of fire while cranking are bad ideas. Don't do that.
    Errata: at 14:00, I say 1/66. The actual value is 1/32. This doesn't affect the speed measurement, but reflects an error in the video editing.

ความคิดเห็น • 3.4K

  • @smartereveryday
    @smartereveryday 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6834

    This is going to be fun. Looking forward to working with you.

    • @moldy_banana5015
      @moldy_banana5015 2 ปีที่แล้ว +258

      Looking forward to seeing the video!

    • @sirdickons2779
      @sirdickons2779 2 ปีที่แล้ว +109

      @@moldy_banana5015 Beware the foreskin walker 😳🚬 It took my dog 🐕

    • @themadscientest
      @themadscientest 2 ปีที่แล้ว +89

      Heck yes supersonic trebuchet vs supersonic baseball needs to happen!

    • @agamijonathan
      @agamijonathan 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      How fun!

    • @thehulkyman
      @thehulkyman 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Can't wait for the vid!

  • @thethoughtemporium
    @thethoughtemporium 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +607

    Can't believe I'm just seeing this. This is rad. The crack when it fires is wild

    • @trminer1
      @trminer1 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      same

    • @Bruno-cb5gk
      @Bruno-cb5gk 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      looks like there was another wave of recommendations of this video, really glad I came across it because it's a masterpiece

    • @leandrogoethals6599
      @leandrogoethals6599 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Do a video togetther that would be so cool

    • @Arcae95
      @Arcae95 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      so cool to see you seeing this

    • @nedisawegoyogya
      @nedisawegoyogya 9 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Yknow, whem math is mathing

  • @TomStantonEngineering
    @TomStantonEngineering 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1751

    Wow! Finally the YT algorithm showed me this masterpiece! I was running simulations to build a supersonic trebuchet around the same time you posted this video, however I found it to be near impossible (I think my simulations used a counterweight), but hearing that sonic boom was insane. Would love to see some high speed footage of this thing launching!

    • @parkeryj3135
      @parkeryj3135 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      Love your content Tom, thanks for putting out quality content!

    • @richardb4313
      @richardb4313 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      Tom, I wasn't paying attention when I clicked on this from the side bar, and I assumed TH-cam had simply served me your latest video! Took a few seconds of "hey, that's not his voice"

    • @snarevox
      @snarevox 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +20

      i wonder why le algorithm is bringing this around again now?? i just got it too.. do you think something happened to get the video back into rotation as it were, or is it showing up based purely off of our own search/subscription activity??
      i feel like its something internal and unrelated to our actions as users.

    • @MalgumMusic
      @MalgumMusic 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@snarevox Just found this today and super glad

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  9 หลายเดือนก่อน +59

      Hey Tom! Love your channel. Yeah, this would be really hard using a counterweight at such a small length scale. If I was trying to do that, my first guess would be to increase the angular stroke to some huge number and run it in a vacuum, but it's maybe possible to do with multiple arms in series? Haven't done any serious study of those machines. Triggering would be very tricky of course.

  • @BallisticHighSpeed
    @BallisticHighSpeed 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +109

    Hey David! We specialize in capturing super-sonic object with our high-speed cameras. We'd be happy to get some incredible footage of this!

    • @johnsimons92
      @johnsimons92 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Hurray! Have been waiting for this ever since @davideade8692 posted the video first.

    • @Urartus
      @Urartus 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Let's go guys! Make this happen 💪🏻🙌🏻@@johnsimons92

    • @travis1043
      @travis1043 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Love your channel guys!

  • @zachsowell8845
    @zachsowell8845 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1704

    I can’t get over how dangerous being at the business end of this thing cranking up that much potential energy is.

    • @0bucklin
      @0bucklin 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +122

      I know! where are the safety squints!

    • @getahanddown
      @getahanddown 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +72

      Then he touches it lol.

    • @angusmatheson8906
      @angusmatheson8906 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +48

      Loaded it before cranking too. 5he c4ank should maybe be at the other end lolol

    • @thefreese1
      @thefreese1 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +35

      Agree ... i would think that a 12v wench with a battery would be a much safer proposition... but it wouldn't have fit tje budget unless he could scrounge a used one cheap.

    • @annoyed707
      @annoyed707 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +60

      "12 volt wench"? So that's what they call those now...

  • @themeatpopsicle
    @themeatpopsicle 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +539

    "An exciting new way to convert time and money into heat and noise" is a really outstanding phrase

    • @MP-vc4nu
      @MP-vc4nu 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Ah so this is how it was before supersonic missiles was invented

    • @David-wu4vl
      @David-wu4vl 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Like Bitcoin

  • @flechette3782
    @flechette3782 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +18

    As an aerospace engineer that graduated in 1997, I am jealous that you young un's get to do all this with such great tools. It looks like playing a video game. Calculating this stuff by hand or even a programmable calculator was not nearly as cool. Those were the days of waiting in line to use the computer room.

  • @Hamporkchop
    @Hamporkchop 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1410

    So incredible that it's powered by rubber! JoergSprave would be proud!

    • @PatrickKQ4HBD
      @PatrickKQ4HBD 2 ปีที่แล้ว +112

      I immediately produced a deep belly laugh when I heard that first supersonic crack.
      AAHA HA HA HA!

    • @jacobdavidcunningham1440
      @jacobdavidcunningham1440 2 ปีที่แล้ว +117

      let me show you its features

    • @HiberNAT
      @HiberNAT 2 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      So I added a bunch of pulleys here, and bualah hOAHOAHOAHOA WE GOT HUAHUAHOA A 9MM SPEED COMPARABLE handheld trebuchet legolini

    • @just1689
      @just1689 2 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      Joerg, we would like one with a magazine and a pull back to reload mechanism please

    • @just1689
      @just1689 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Maybe a sight for targeting high value targets on the battle field

  • @yokowan
    @yokowan 2 ปีที่แล้ว +308

    i love how you go into the proper engineering process instead of oversimplifying everything and jumping straight into the build like a lot of big youtubers who optimize for mass appeal

    • @trif55
      @trif55 2 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      Yea, I wish this was an advert for an engineering degree, I've never really seen the engineering design process explained like this, or used so effectively! As markserbu said above, sadly the most common encounter with someone who knows those formulae and the process is the least able to apply them or communicate them effectively! I'm sure you will go on to do great things!

    • @yokowan
      @yokowan 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@trif55 yeah! I really wish I had this guy as one of my professors. the same content is so much less engaging when you're just having formulas read at you

    • @MrSurrealKarma
      @MrSurrealKarma 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      You're kinda making that sound like a bad thing, the simplification.

    • @yokowan
      @yokowan 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @@MrSurrealKarma simplifying things allows the content to reach a wider audience, which is great in its own right, but i personally enjoy deep dives like this a lot more

    • @Imaboss8ball
      @Imaboss8ball 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      A lot of big TH-camrs just guess and do things through trial and error. I'm personally surprised that he did actual engineering and got the results correct on the first try.

  • @alexkram
    @alexkram 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +140

    It would take me a long time to understand all of this, but I love how you minimized the "hardness" of the design. This is an engineering master's thesis right here. Would love to see what you are working on now.

  • @senjoronie3971
    @senjoronie3971 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +44

    Slow-Mo Guys, right now! I would love to see that. What a cool project this is, seriously. It sounds like a gunshot almost, or rather, like the crack of a bullet passing at supersonic speed. Amazing work. I'm thinking about building one now.

  • @TheBohrokMan
    @TheBohrokMan 2 ปีที่แล้ว +452

    As a grad student in fluids who's done some control theory, it was incredibly satisfying to see this idea cast as a constrained optimization problem simplified with scaling laws, and to see it work spectacularly. I saw that you even accounted for hysteresis in the rubber! It's awesome to see actual engineering used for this kind of project. Judging by the snow, I'd guess you're not near the LA area, but in case you ever are, I have access to a high speed camera and a small schlieren setup. I'm sure the shockwaves coming off the ball and sling would look incredible during launch

    • @deepdivyam3437
      @deepdivyam3437 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Maybe you could make your own trebuchet and shoot a slow motion video. Would love to see that if you ever have a chance.

    • @evilynux
      @evilynux 2 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      Seeing that iron ring in his right-hand pinky, I'm guessing he's in Canada. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Ring)

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  2 ปีที่แล้ว +58

      Thanks! I'm quite far from LA, as Pascal correctly inferred, but I'll keep you in mind if the opportunity comes up.

  • @StankyBud93
    @StankyBud93 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +190

    Wow the way it breaks the sound barrier is incredible. Thank you for building this!

    • @protorhinocerator142
      @protorhinocerator142 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      It sounds like a small cannon. Powered by a rubber band.
      Brings a whole new meaning to "You'll shoot your eye out."

    • @tomchelle1
      @tomchelle1 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Yeah can you imagine if this could be pulled off in the day without the rubber. The sound alone would make the defenders soil their pants and raise the white flag

  • @TheLifeFruit
    @TheLifeFruit 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

    This is the old youtube quality in more modern times. Love it

  • @Kayaz48
    @Kayaz48 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +155

    I’m hoping that this was a doctoral thesis. An accredited institution sure as hell should give you credit for this brilliant analysis, modeling and results. Well done!!

    • @railgap
      @railgap 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Um, this could have been done using high school algebra. OP is just flexing to make his viewers feel dumb. Further: he provides only fuzzy circumstantial evidence of success: no actual measurements. OP is a poor engineer, which is probably why he is chasing YT money instead of, you know, actually working in engineering.

    • @treOODA
      @treOODA 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@railgap Columbus faced the same naysayers when he stood an egg on its end.. who else has built a supersonic trebuchet?

    • @test5093
      @test5093 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      A doctoral thesis? More like a bachelors. Maybe a masters but i doubt it.

    • @Kayaz48
      @Kayaz48 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      @@test5093 Trolls. Keeping the Internet entertaining since 1995.

    • @test5093
      @test5093 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Kayaz48 I'm quite serious. Do you have a degree?

  • @janeymers7154
    @janeymers7154 2 ปีที่แล้ว +40

    As a mechanical engineer myself (thou i oriented towards IoT and automation), this was honestly humiliating. What you have achieved in the given timeframe is pretty respectable!

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  2 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      I think the video doesn't make it clear that I'd already built the model and done a few projects in the trebuchet field before starting this project. Building all that groundwork in a month would be truly ridiculous.

  • @TheAnachronist
    @TheAnachronist 3 ปีที่แล้ว +274

    I'm really glad you decided to use LaTeX to describe a latex-driven catachet. Super impressive work. I had also recently started to gather supplies to make such a device but was planning on using just a less efficient simple catapult arm and brute-forcing the ratio between amount of rubber and the payload, with a properly tapered arm. Your design (and the process that went into it) is far more elegant, and the tell-tale supersonic crack on the video of the plywood version is unmistakable and very satisfying.

  • @icycoral
    @icycoral 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    That was an excellent presentation of the engineering design process, along with a very exciting demonstration. Very very cool!

  • @bold-Motion
    @bold-Motion 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +18

    I know it's been a while, but I'm sure the Slow-Mo Guys would love something like this!

    • @robertmiller8529
      @robertmiller8529 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Came here to say the same thing this would be perfect.

  • @markserbu
    @markserbu 2 ปีที่แล้ว +855

    Fantastic! I always love seeing engineering used for interesting stuff, and this is it for sure! Nice job! BTW I have a "fancy" high-speed camera but judging by your surroundings and that odd white stuff on the ground, I gather you're not too close to Florida. ;-)

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  2 ปีที่แล้ว +102

      Thanks Mark! Love your work, by the way. Unfortunately, you're correct about the white stuff - I'm a long way from Florida.

    • @ozzymandius666
      @ozzymandius666 2 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@davideade8692 That was excellent. You just earned yourself a subscriber.
      I'm not an engineer, but I'm pretty good at math and physics, I'll have to look into that design process, see if I can grock it.
      If I understand correctly, you could scale the projectile weight up by adding more rubber...a pulley system that takes advantage of all the surface area under the frame? (and an electric engine to crank it)

    • @markserbu
      @markserbu 2 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      @@davideade8692 Thanks! You know, I traverse two different worlds with a lot of what I do...the world of engineering, science, math, and then the world of GIT 'ER DONE! The latter, the fabricator types, generally have disdain for degreed engineers because most of the ones they meet are "math heads" who can't even change the oil in their car. What you're showing here is extremely valuable in showing that "all them thar numbers" CAN be important, and sometimes crucial to getting a task accomplished! I'm going to spread your video far and wide and I hope to help you inspire future generations of engineers.

    • @Flumphinator
      @Flumphinator 2 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@markserbu Mark confirmed new Bill Nye the Science Guy, since the old one is broken.
      I’m a random dude, but this is spot on. I’m in construction, and I don’t have a college degree, but I’m shoulders with some dudes with masters degrees who don’t know which way to turn a screw.

    • @SegwayBossk
      @SegwayBossk 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I'm in Florida, but I have nothing interesting to film. Unless you want to film various fruits being shot with a pellet gun lol

  • @kborak
    @kborak 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +86

    How on Earth, has this video not taken off as fast and hard as those shots? Brilliantly done!

    • @PLAYERSLAYER_22
      @PLAYERSLAYER_22 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

      ive been getting some banger engineering vids recently on reccomended

    • @agentmueller
      @agentmueller 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      I just got recommended it and if you hit newest comments first you can tell it’s buzzin right now. What I don’t get is what did him and destin collab on? Smarter every day said can’t wait but this guy only has one video and it’s this one from two years ago, and I can’t find anything on SED’s channel.. what gives?

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  9 หลายเดือนก่อน +38

      @@agentmueller The SED collab is still in the works. It's a big project. I guarantee you'll like it.

    • @Mateus_Coutoo
      @Mateus_Coutoo 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@davideade8692 Can't wait! Destin is an awesome guy, really hope your channel can grown even more with his help

  • @SAFEpanki27
    @SAFEpanki27 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    You say "turns out it's pretty easy" and then go completely over my head within the first 2 slides. Thank you for this video David, I loved watching this.
    Now I need to bust out the Lego and get started on a mini trebuchet :D

  • @CanyonWanderer
    @CanyonWanderer 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Hats off Sir!, what an excellent analysis on how to achieve this result. You took most of the trial and error out of the equation and it shows in the end!

  • @foolwise4703
    @foolwise4703 2 ปีที่แล้ว +382

    Dude I am loving this way too much :D "Turns out its pretty easy" - and continues with the most awesome optimization procedure that I have ever seen for a mechanical design. Now I wish I had had a lecture in mechanical design optization :P I will definitely look into your data. Doing this in three weeks also seems fairly amazing.

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  2 ปีที่แล้ว +37

      Thanks! To be fair, I had certainly worked on catapults before, and already had a simulation tool written from a previous project. Just hadn't investigated the limits of the concept.

    • @foolwise4703
      @foolwise4703 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@davideade8692 That sounds realistic. Still amazing work!

  • @treOODA
    @treOODA 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +379

    As a student of ballistics for 30 years, I had no idea that was possible. Great explanation of the math application.

    • @goodmaro
      @goodmaro 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      Consider that when someone cracks a whip, it's breaking the sound barrier.

    • @railgap
      @railgap 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +17

      "I like to shoot things and math with squiggly lines impresses me"

    • @treOODA
      @treOODA 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      I wonder if you could use a hydraulic cylinder to leverage the same output..

    • @michawolski4741
      @michawolski4741 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      No wonder you're still a student

    • @bormisha
      @bormisha 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@treOODAI guess you could use a cylinder to load the rubber springs, but not for the final release of energy. It would go too slow. A quick-release energy storage device is necessary, which is basically what those rubber springs are.

  • @boblandowski6960
    @boblandowski6960 2 ปีที่แล้ว +494

    You should contact either James the Hacksmith he is in Kitchner, Ontario or Destin from Smarter everyday from US. Love this video thank you for showing the engineering process, wouldn't mind seeing the actual build video if you have it.

    • @petiepooo2
      @petiepooo2 2 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      I second the Destin recommendation

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  2 ปีที่แล้ว +127

      I actually did contact Destin about it, but he wasn't interested at all. The Hacksmith is an interesting suggestion though, I think I'll follow that up. Thanks!
      Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, given how messy my shop was at the time) I didn't record the build.

    • @JosephParker_Nottheboxer
      @JosephParker_Nottheboxer 2 ปีที่แล้ว +65

      Possibly Gav of the Slo-mo guys.
      The other option is contacting universitys of some form because of the practical application of physics and maths to make somethng quite tangible. Added in it's portability and I can see this easily as an educational tool for people.

    • @Tuppirauta
      @Tuppirauta 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Definately contact Smarter Everyday!
      Superb work, absolutely. Maths and design, you got brilliant future where ever you wanna build it. Go for it!

    • @arasin.staubly
      @arasin.staubly 2 ปีที่แล้ว +36

      The Slingshot Channel needs to see this one!

  • @discerningx3375
    @discerningx3375 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Love that you show the math and relevant equations. The understanding of the relationships involved will stay with you a lifetime.

  • @joe-dp3ng
    @joe-dp3ng 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Hearing the sound I'm familiar with of the projectile breaking the sound barrier is proof enough for me. Good job.

  • @patrickstrasser-mikhail6873
    @patrickstrasser-mikhail6873 2 ปีที่แล้ว +105

    I love how you engineer the engineering. The meta-analysis is great, its like instead of just walking towards a goal (naive approach), or using a map (engineering) rather finding the best tool to select the best map to decide the best way how to get to the goal with the least total effort.

    • @dextruax4903
      @dextruax4903 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      That sounds like more work lol

    • @PeanutPirate1
      @PeanutPirate1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Work smart, not hard 😉

    • @NeverTalkToCops1
      @NeverTalkToCops1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@PeanutPirate1 Do neither. That gets you into Elon Musk territory. Trust me.

  • @briandalrymple9986
    @briandalrymple9986 2 ปีที่แล้ว +400

    Well done David. Loved watching this video.
    Only one thing made me cringe though, when you were cranking up the springs / rubbers, I kept on thinking, “You are standing in front of a loaded weapon”, and I cringed but took solace from the fact the video was produced meaning you survived safely.
    Cheers, Brian from NZ.

    • @Topsrek
      @Topsrek 2 ปีที่แล้ว +74

      IRL plot armor

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  2 ปีที่แล้ว +147

      Thank you for a civil comment about a real safety concern. The issue is rather nuanced, but I support your recommendation not to do it this way.

    • @boots7859
      @boots7859 2 ปีที่แล้ว +45

      @@davideade8692 Agree with Brian. The smart alternative would be to load after fully energizing the system. Potential for finger/hand mangling, which is decidedly less final than supersonic projectile to the head. Very interesting design process in this project, which I can't recall seeing anywhere else on YT. Real engineering.

    • @tombushell1276
      @tombushell1276 2 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      Cool video, and a great result, but I share the safety concerns of the other commenters.
      This is based on my experience designing and testing hang glider tow releases, where I was aware of a famous Canadian instructor who had lost an eye to a towline break because he used overly elastic rope for the towline bridle.
      My big concern is structural failure while tensioning the system….especially since wood tends to fail catastrophically.
      A simple plywood shield (or polycarbonate would be even better), shop safety glasses, and /or a helmet would go a long way to reducing the risks.

    • @rey_nemaattori
      @rey_nemaattori 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@boots7859 One can simply block the arm with a safety pin(like with the knex model), allowing you to span the rubbers without the arm possibly moving.

  • @igiwarcraft
    @igiwarcraft 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Amazing. So very well explained and boy, how well articulated. Props for that and thank you!

  • @miserablemosquito462
    @miserablemosquito462 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This is absolutely insane. I would love to see some more videos.

  • @balkedaquino1268
    @balkedaquino1268 2 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    I love the fact that you actually talk about the math behind it, too few engineering youtubers do that

  • @larryscott3982
    @larryscott3982 2 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    I like the sonic boom. You know positively when Mach is achieved.
    And a nice deep dive into critical parts before fabrication. And minimal ‘trial and error’.

  • @martingraser6938
    @martingraser6938 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Rally great understanding of kinetic and physic. Extraordinary work.

  • @ThoughtsAreReal
    @ThoughtsAreReal 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I am amazed. Fantastic work David!

  • @BobbyDukeArts
    @BobbyDukeArts 2 ปีที่แล้ว +106

    That's pretty amazing

  • @evancourtney7746
    @evancourtney7746 2 ปีที่แล้ว +99

    This is amazing! I love how your solution vs. the Smarter Everyday guy's to throwing something over Mach 1 illustrates the difference 10M subscribers make to your design choices.

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  2 ปีที่แล้ว +105

      In fairness to Destin, building one of these to throw a baseball at Mach 1 would cost a fortune. I did a few studies on how scaling affects the cost, and it's essentially linear with the energy. Getting his performance with this design would likely cost $10k or so.

    • @KevinToppenberg
      @KevinToppenberg 2 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      I wonder if Destin would be available to use his equipment to film your machine... Anyone know how to ask him?

    • @filfil9902
      @filfil9902 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@davideade8692 looking at his contraption this would be cheaper

    • @Sgrunterundt
      @Sgrunterundt 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@davideade8692 Only linear with energy? I'd expect much worse.

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  2 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      @@Sgrunterundt I expect the linear scaling would break when the parts got large enough to be non-standard sizes, but that happens well above baseball scale.

  • @PlasmaChannel
    @PlasmaChannel 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    This is remarkable. The report is even better!

  • @jamesr736
    @jamesr736 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I can't believe this is your only video, it would be so cool to see you do more.

  • @Ikbeneengeit
    @Ikbeneengeit 2 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    Never thought of optimizing an engineering problem with a difficulty function. Beautiful modelling work!

  • @someoftheyouse
    @someoftheyouse 2 ปีที่แล้ว +77

    That is some PROPER engineering. Fantastic job.

  • @johnwheatley231
    @johnwheatley231 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +15

    Great engineering feat. Would love to see some slo-mo and impacts of the projectile.

    • @reno3
      @reno3 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I'm guessing it is not relatively accurate over long distances.

  • @mbainrot
    @mbainrot 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    Mate this is sooo bloody cool, can't wait to see the collab with you and Destin.
    Thank you for sharing the drawings/simulations thou, if i were still into making loud noises (use to use a capacitor bank to see how loud I could make components/wire atomically cover the containment box) I'd totally build one 🤣

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  9 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      Funny you mention this, as I'm working on refurbishing my old pulsed power system at the moment. 25kJ at 16kV :D

    • @TheExplosiveGuy
      @TheExplosiveGuy 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@davideade8692 Man, here I was thinking my 1.5kJ 1kV capacitor bank was loud, I'll bet that thing could make you go deaf! 25kJ, good lord...

  • @andrewphillip8432
    @andrewphillip8432 2 ปีที่แล้ว +225

    To be honest I was most surprised that the rubber was able to move itself fast enough. Even with such a large motion amplification that the arm and sling give, I somewhat expected the rubber to have too much mass relative to its stored elastic energy. I suppose thats the beauty of the optimization approach - that it quickly guides you to the correct intuition. I am now 100% signing up for the optimization elective at my school!

    • @ddexter8723
      @ddexter8723 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      You can get double the speed from the rubber by using a pulley system

    • @williamchamberlain2263
      @williamchamberlain2263 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      ​@@ddexter8723can you quadruple it with a double pulley?

    • @von...
      @von... 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@williamchamberlain2263 if you set up a quad pulley... noble peace prize right there. truly the peak of all engineering feats.

    • @phildavenport4150
      @phildavenport4150 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@derekgross7852 Who was it that said there is nothing as practical as a good theory?

    • @plasmaastronaut
      @plasmaastronaut 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      why would u be surprised? small rubber balloons pop with supersonic speed without any engineering.

  • @mwsletten
    @mwsletten 2 ปีที่แล้ว +106

    This was really fun to watch, but it was also nerve wracking. I have a suggestion: When working with a machine that can accelerate a projectile to speeds fast enough to cause injury don't stand in the path of the projectile after it's loaded. For example, I would not load the projectile on the machine until AFTER preloading the rubber bands. Call me a worry wart, but I've seen firearms discharge in all kinds of different situations where they were not supposed to.

    • @lowskillcamper
      @lowskillcamper 2 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Yes, a ball like that has more "muzzle" energy than many pistol bullets.

    • @mriguy3202
      @mriguy3202 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Yes higher safety margins are a good idea.. The more times you try it out the more chances for the trebuchet to tip over sideways or timber fastener fail, etc. I'd suggest finding a way to add lateral stability and a way to crank the winch while standing off to the side a few feet. Wonderful work, though!

    • @Ass_of_Amalek
      @Ass_of_Amalek 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      both he and the camera person clearly exercised some level of caution to not stand directly in the plane of rotation, but I think they got too close to it. the most worrying part in my opinion is the cranking.

    • @darth_dan8886
      @darth_dan8886 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I've honestly been watching carefully and saw that he was off the axis of the trebuchet at all times when it was loaded, but the criticism is fair.

    • @kaminelson1277
      @kaminelson1277 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It's more dangerous loading it after cause it could rip your hand off. Also the projectile will likely just go over your head and if you watched his head never went directly in front of the projectiles path

  • @420gasstation
    @420gasstation 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    This is amazing! You need to do more videos like this! You would have a following like no other.

  • @jamesbrown9736
    @jamesbrown9736 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    As a fan of siege machinery this is about the coolest one I have seen. Of course watching the guys from Top Gear hurl a car and it presumably destroying a barn was very satisfying as well. 😊. Can’t begin to anywhere understand the math you presented but still very satisfying. Great job! Glad you didn’t take your head off with all the potential energy you produced!!!

  • @Jackknifegyp
    @Jackknifegyp 2 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    This falls into a huge vat of projects wherein my ambition, and desire, are whelmed over by my impatience, talent, energy, persistence, and other attributes to break the sound barrier. But having spent a month attempting to build trebs and cats, to hurl tennis balls for the pupster to chase and retrieve, I can appreciate the raw awesomeness of your efforts, and final success. As others have noted, the 'thud' is very satisfying. Like an applause from the cosmos.

    • @HarveyCohen
      @HarveyCohen 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      The first time I read this I thought you were hurling cats. I'd pay to see that.

  • @meem6227
    @meem6227 2 ปีที่แล้ว +582

    THIS IS YOUR ONLY VIDEO ?!!?!
    I'm honestly so surprised. This has such a good production quality I thought you've been doing this for at least a while. Please post more :D this was awesome and I honestly desire more. Also, if you keep this up, you'll probably eventually get up there in the fun youtube science part along Mykull, Nile, William Osman and his friends and all the big boys

    • @speedweasel
      @speedweasel 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +37

      Given the lack of safety controls and the way he kept sticking his hands and face in and around the mechanism, I just assume this thing killed him. My condolences to his family if that's true.

    • @psychosis7325
      @psychosis7325 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@speedweasel Wohin Corporation

    • @teaboy9614
      @teaboy9614 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @@speedweasel ye i was anxious watching him touch that ball in armed supersonic trebuchet

    • @arturjogi2667
      @arturjogi2667 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      It's a trebuchet. The only part going a deadly speed is the ball and string

    • @asmodiusjones9563
      @asmodiusjones9563 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      ⁠@@arturjogi2667with a firearm, the only thing going a deadly speed is the bullet. Doesn’t mean it’s not deadly.
      If he had a .22 handgun on the end of the frame pointing towards him while he cranked it up, I think it would be obvious how dangerous that is.

  • @charger1369
    @charger1369 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Strange I haven't seen this yet. Strange that you don't have more videos. You've got my subscription, I really enjoyed hearing your highly technical descriptions and explanations, without watering it down for people who don't understand it. I didn't understand it, by the way, that's me lol
    Very interesting, hope you continue.

  • @juhotuho10
    @juhotuho10 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I would never even have thought of including design difficulty in optimizing the trebuchet, this is exteremely interesting
    super cool video, thank you

  • @johnchase9054
    @johnchase9054 2 ปีที่แล้ว +898

    Now that you've got the object at supersonic speeds how about the more difficult problem of getting it to repeatedly impact a distant stationary object at a precise location?

    • @Allahuma.sali.ala.muhammad.
      @Allahuma.sali.ala.muhammad. 2 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      i like that idea!

    • @Doeff8
      @Doeff8 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      lol

    • @JoseRodriguez-go5do
      @JoseRodriguez-go5do 2 ปีที่แล้ว +104

      Yeah, let this guy further develop a military weapon by improving accuracy using shit from your cellar. This sure will come in handy in these times of social revolts and demonstrations….

    • @AidaMusic03
      @AidaMusic03 2 ปีที่แล้ว +122

      @@JoseRodriguez-go5do Shut up "Jose Rodriguez"

    • @zippyllama177
      @zippyllama177 2 ปีที่แล้ว +64

      mate.... a gun is cheaper and more effective. This would have 0 impact on the issues you named.

  • @antoniowoods9583
    @antoniowoods9583 2 ปีที่แล้ว +61

    Loved this! Buy yourself a blast shield and some safety goggles, then make more videos! I'd happily watch.

    • @mcfail3450
      @mcfail3450 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      I'm glad someone else noticed he was being pretty dangerous during the cranking. One thing breaks and his head has a steel ball through it. Cringed the most during the measurement. Like bro if it snaps your hands go bye bye. You can just glue or screw a yard stick to it for measurement.

    • @Slipperygecko390
      @Slipperygecko390 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@mcfail3450 Well I hate to say it but he's only every posted one video so I hope the worst hasn't happened. It would be 100 times safer to point a gun at yourself while you load it, at least a guns safety mechanism is proven.

  • @user-ux1qv8rw6y
    @user-ux1qv8rw6y 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    That is some PROPER engineering. Fantastic job.. That's pretty amazing.

  • @dittilio
    @dittilio 2 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    I got completely nerd sniped by your design process. Absolutely love that parametric optimisation design approach.

  • @abs_official
    @abs_official 2 ปีที่แล้ว +54

    This is awesome. I remember building a ~2 foot tall trebuchet out of KNEX back in the 90's as a kid. This is pure nostalgia right here

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  2 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Nice! I spent so much time with KNEX as a kid.

    • @PLAYERSLAYER_22
      @PLAYERSLAYER_22 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      the knex got me lol as a 90's kid

    • @EternamDoov
      @EternamDoov 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      '90s *

  • @christianlucy3053
    @christianlucy3053 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Was not expecting to come across this video today but so glad that I did. Amazingly cool.

  • @waitemc
    @waitemc 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    That was the most awesome thing I've seen in a while. Thank you

  • @tristanwegner
    @tristanwegner 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    I love that you go more in depth with the math and modeling than most build channels on youtube! Good way to stand out!

  • @joelfilho2625
    @joelfilho2625 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    You have a rather soothing voice, a charming personality, and the machine itself looked like a rather outstanding piece of engineering. While I'm about as dumb as a bag of rocks on the design optimisation stuff, it's clear you put in a lot of thought and calculations on the project and the video was a joy to watch as a whole. Excellent content!

  • @WHIRLWOLF
    @WHIRLWOLF 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    First video I'm watching of yours. Love it !

  • @triders
    @triders 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Incredible dedication to the science and fun!

  • @tedmankowski5490
    @tedmankowski5490 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +118

    For your next assignment, please design a larger version that can cast an object into stationary orbit. We've already seen the big spin, but it's way too expensive. 🙂

    • @EnderRobber101
      @EnderRobber101 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +33

      You need a secondary push from orbit so a Trebuchet shooting a Trebuchet shooting a payload

    • @alexCh-ln2gw
      @alexCh-ln2gw 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @@EnderRobber101 I bet you could get funding from elon musk if it launched a tesla into space.

    • @EnderRobber101
      @EnderRobber101 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@alexCh-ln2gw basically the concept of spin lauch

    • @RRKS
      @RRKS 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Imagine seeing a thousand people cranking a huge wheel to toss a rocket into orbit 🤣

    • @ricahrddowner6016
      @ricahrddowner6016 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Anything you want to launch from the ground into orbit, is like a meteor going into earth at a very bad angle. The projectile itself would burn up, that's the scale of energy to get into orbit BTW

  • @RobertMilesAI
    @RobertMilesAI 2 ปีที่แล้ว +65

    Amazing how modern engineering allows you to do extraordinary things without using modern materials. It seems to me that something almost as good as this could be built with Renaissance technology, if they'd only known how to design it

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  2 ปีที่แล้ว +71

      Probably, although the efficiency would be much lower, as the sling line would have to be much heavier to work with the fibers they had at the time. The Dyneema string I use for the sling has something like ten times the specific strength of anything that was available in the Renaissance.

    • @jopo3616
      @jopo3616 2 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Design a Supersonic Trebuchet with Renaissance materials? Sounds like a problem only a super AI could solve.

    • @James_Hallam
      @James_Hallam 2 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@davideade8692 dyneema is incredible. We use it in high performance sailing and run relatively massive loads on tiny bits of string. Blows my mind on a daily basis.

    • @thextremeking
      @thextremeking 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@jopo3616 I agree, we need the give the AI the instruction to make it shoot projectiles as fast as possible using any resources it can get it's hands on and of course no robotic laws are implemented ;)

    • @trif55
      @trif55 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@davideade8692 what sort of forces are experienced by the line?

  • @ranibearsilva5883
    @ranibearsilva5883 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    HI David , we loved your enthusiasm for engineering

  • @ludwigneyen
    @ludwigneyen 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    amazing video, pls give us more :) loved the deep diving engineering approach

  • @josuelservin
    @josuelservin 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The design optimization study is great to see and the musings on the creakines of wood just wonderful, thank you for this magnificent video and design, it is inspiring to say the least.

  • @1495978707
    @1495978707 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This is absolutely fantastic. A much needed and well done explanation of a rigorous design process

  • @bluebearcreativeAU
    @bluebearcreativeAU 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    very cool to watch the process and the result

  • @caleblloyd2781
    @caleblloyd2781 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This thing is so awesome!! That crack is one of the coolest things I've ever heard considering it's only powered by rubber bands. Great work!

  • @TheEveryDayC
    @TheEveryDayC 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    it's so interesting to me how similar the sounds are to a gunshot for what you hear as the sound echoes out. mechanically it's the same factor that causes it, the projectile breaking the sound barrier, but achieved completely differently. you would still then, presumably hear a ballistic snap in the direction the projectile is moving. would love to see a camera put out there to hear it and confirm

  • @AnkushGirotra
    @AnkushGirotra 2 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    Beautiful lesson on how to approach real world optimization problems. Why introduce parameters into a design when one can simply derive them from root constraints like an absolute chad.
    Great work 👍

  • @Fiercefighter2
    @Fiercefighter2 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The echo of the sonic boom is very satisfying.

  • @user-zk1vv9ob6w
    @user-zk1vv9ob6w 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    this video literally brought a tear to my eye. FANTASTIC JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • @minhducnguyen9276
    @minhducnguyen9276 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    That's insane. I would expect a mechanical device to barely break the sound barrier, not going nearly 100m/s over the speed of sound. Your work is truly impressive.

    • @mitchellcouchman1444
      @mitchellcouchman1444 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The next question is how hard is hypersonic

    • @htomerif
      @htomerif 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Uh... purely mechanical whips have been breaking the sound barrier for at least centuries. Possibly millennia? I wouldn't be surprised if you could attach a small ball bearing to the end of a bullwhip and have it break free at supersonic speeds. Kinda simplify this whole thing.

    • @ludovicoch3997
      @ludovicoch3997 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@htomerif😂 it’s a bit more complicated than that

    • @htomerif
      @htomerif 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@ludovicoch3997 oh, why don't you tell me how its "more complicated than that"?

  • @iain3713
    @iain3713 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This is incredibly impressive, cool to see the optimisation too.

  • @littlemacky0
    @littlemacky0 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This was absolute beautiful

  • @iain-duncan
    @iain-duncan 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Amazing hope to see more from you someday

  • @Connor_Montgomery
    @Connor_Montgomery 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    How is this your only video? It feels like a well established channel that has tons of uploads and really good videos

  • @arcadely
    @arcadely 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    David's done one video and it's absolute gold. More, please, if you have the time and the interest!

  • @bustatron
    @bustatron 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Well done man, well done. Super enjoyable.

  • @nikolaiivankin
    @nikolaiivankin 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    amazing, the most amazing home made project I've seen!

  • @knowledgelover2736
    @knowledgelover2736 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Great work!
    Now that you have proven the concept, the crank effort at the end is another design optimization for scaled production.
    In industry we always design to 50% engine capacity so that if we have to step outside job parameters we don’t break the system.

    • @00bean00
      @00bean00 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Time for a mini Lego version with motors

  • @mrkb34
    @mrkb34 3 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    This is fantastic. The trebuchet community will be very excited. Thanks!

  • @coppcar
    @coppcar 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Wow! Well done David.

  • @TipsyCHUBBZ
    @TipsyCHUBBZ 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Only supersonic trebuchet on youtube, only 1 video to the channel, 1.6 million views in 3 years and 16.6k current subscribers. The man is doing things. Thank You

  • @bobsaccomanno5822
    @bobsaccomanno5822 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Just found your video yesterday. Very well done. Took almost a year for TH-cam to recommend it to me (an engineer). If this only took you 3 weeks, your channel can rivel that of similar content.

  • @ACDC5968
    @ACDC5968 3 ปีที่แล้ว +46

    This is absolutely amazing, nice work on everything and I have no doubt you'll have a lot of interest. I commend you on this project I really do personally I'm thinking how amazing it would be scaled up lol.

    • @davideade8692
      @davideade8692  3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      I've been thinking about one powered by a gas ram that launches golf balls, but I can't quite justify the cost to myself :P Nice K'nex trebuchets, by the way.

    • @mb-3faze
      @mb-3faze 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@davideade8692 It would be great to see the pressure and shock waves. Maybe contact the 'Slow-mo guys' or The Backyard Scientist.? They have some high-speed cameras.

  • @robbennett6053
    @robbennett6053 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Bloody hell! You're a clever lad! Really interesting, though I must admit, it was well over my head.

  • @MacsMachines
    @MacsMachines 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Great video, it’s content like this that still makes TH-cam No 1 for thinkers and learners 👍

  • @vonniemason2730
    @vonniemason2730 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +55

    Watching the model arm form a golden ratio shape for optimal inertia was fascinating

  • @hugsun5918
    @hugsun5918 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I would have loved to see a matthias wendel or tom stanton style walkthrough of the build process as well. Very cool project!

  • @Atmos_Glitch
    @Atmos_Glitch 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Ahh, a video, that really feels like it's made for just sharing what how like, how you like it, for others to like too!

  • @davidtheriault4790
    @davidtheriault4790 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    That is so cool!
    I’d love to try to build one.

  • @EnderSpy007
    @EnderSpy007 2 ปีที่แล้ว +38

    if im not mistaken trebuchets are powered by gravity via a counterweight, and catapults are powered via tension. Great video either way!

    • @connerferguson1667
      @connerferguson1667 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Thank you! I though I was the only person that caught that detail.

    • @jamesedwardrichardson2131
      @jamesedwardrichardson2131 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I think that a trebuchet, ballista, or mangonel are all catapults, but mangonels are tension and trebuchets are gravity powered. But I would definitely not call this a trebuchet. This machine I would call a mangonel.

    • @SoWhat1221
      @SoWhat1221 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@jamesedwardrichardson2131 I just want to point out that, while you're technically correct that mangonels were tension-powered, it's important to note that, that tension laid in the muscles of the men. Mangonels were not torsion powered, like onagers. They were powered by a group of men, giving the machine a solid pull. Importantly, so were the first trebuchets, the so-called traction trebuchets.

  • @Archaic-Arms
    @Archaic-Arms 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    This truly fantastic.
    I too have re-engineered ancient devices (conceptually) to increase efficiency and effect, but what you have created is awe inspiring. I have a couple of suggests/ideas that would make it more powerful and efficient, and I'd be more than happy to share with you if you're interested.

  • @banditquest4756
    @banditquest4756 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    David, that is impressive. The projectiles sound like a bullet crackling when fired from a gun.

  • @controlledburst
    @controlledburst 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Indeed, an exemplar and demonstrably poignant presentation of the immutable power of engineering.
    Me want one right NOW!!!

  • @TheOnlyJamesRWalker
    @TheOnlyJamesRWalker 2 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    That was epic, loved it. With a larger budget I'd love to know what the maximum speed possible would be given the current limitations of material science.