A retractable string shooter with replaceable hooks where each hook could complete a certain task, for example, a fishing hook, a magnet to grab metallic objects or a plain hard stick to do basic functions like switching on/off light switches.
Considering the functioning of the arm, we concluded that arms correlate to strength and are mainly used for carrying or balancing weights/loads. The intention of the prototype is to enable people to complete mundane tasks with some flair and excitement.
The materials used for the prototype are as follows, clear acrylic sheets and Velcro for the armrest, foam boards for the structure of the box that houses the reel, and electronics. The reel was made using wood and cotton thread. And the only electronics we used were a DC motor, a 9V battery, and a reversible polarity switch. The reason for using the reverse polarity switch is to enable the person to reel in-ward and outward the string. For the trigger, we made use of a board marker case, a spring, and a cloth clip. The mechanism by which the trigger works is that the hook to be launched would push the string inside the marker tube and the clothing pin acts as a stopper, the hook is projected due to the energy from the string once you move away the clip.
This is the first prototype that we made.
We found out that the force with which the hook is launched is directly proportional to the size and length of the spring inside the marker. On using the 9V battery for the tiny motor we found that the time required for the string to return was drastically reduced and the quick subtle buzz of the motor added to the excitement of using the device. Further features like a laser for aiming could be added for enhancing the personal experience. On testing out the prototype with other students we noted that there are times where the string gets tangled inside the housing and it is a bad experience for the wearer to untangle the string and having a bulky object on one’s hand doesn’t add anything positive to the person’s excitement.
Inspired by spider man and his web shooter we believe that this device can be used irrespective of whether you have a fully functioning arm or not. Words cannot describe the joy of shooting an object to switch off your light and being able to reel back what you shot in a matter of seconds. Before one uses our prototype, we’d like to remind them,
“With great power, comes great responsibility”
- Uncle Ben.