Hopper
Setup, pause, and launch! A fully mechanical hopping toy, designed with basic materials.
Class Project
Ideation and Sketching
In the first year Hopper Project at Olin College of Engineering, students build a jumping contraption inspired by nature and refine it through rapid prototyping.
Prototyping & Fabrication
To test my design, I started with a simple 'sketch model' constructed from cardboard and rubber bands. This gave me confidence that the kinematics of my hopper were actually reasonable, and allowed me to move on to a more refined laser-cut Eucaboard and rubber hose version. This prototype included adjustable dowel positions, which allowed me to experimentally determine whether pure energy storage was important, or if there was a mounting location component to the overall jump height.
Ultimately, I determined the most relevant component to the jumping height was the amount of stretch of the rubber hose, which led me to extend the 'wings' of my finished version. I also compensated for the greater mass with topology-optimized lightweighting. This also produced a more 'scaly' bug inspired final product.
Reflection
Overall, the Hopper turned out really well. It ended up as a robust toy with a consistent delay on flat surfaces. It could repeatably reach a ~15ft ceiling, and survives (usually) even if you don't catch it. This project was meant to make us start from the basics, and I feel really proud of what I was able to do.
If I were to redo this project, I think I would reach for the stars a little more. I chose to work towards a more polished final product, but the mechanism is ultimately very simple. There's nothing wrong with this, but more exploration and risk-taking can teach you a lot.
