For the first few weeks of my 2.00 Intro to Design class, teams of five were charged with popping three balloons suspended about 10 feet off the ground, 12 feet from where we stood. We were given a limited supply of materials to use, including foam core, solo cups, rubber bands, and paperclips. Our design, the "Skull Crusher", snared the balloon strings, wound down the string to lower the balloons, and then used a rubber-band mechanism to pop them.

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After brainstorming ideas for a day, our team had to narrow down to the best methods. By quickly mocking up prototypes, we were able to design one system with a combination of the most effective concepts. Further calculations and testing let us make structural decisions that maintained physical integrity and reliability while minimizing material use.

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Annotated pictures and a video of the system in action are below.