MEMS 4110: Air Cannon Launcher Demo

Authors

Jackson Strauss, Washington University in St. LouisFollow
Avery Cohen, Washington University in St. LouisFollow
Wilson Gao, Washington University in St. LouisFollow
Jack Galloway, Washington University in St. LouisFollow

Language

English (en)

Publication Date

Fall 2025

Document Type

Final Report

Embargo Date

12-8-2025

Problem Statement

For our senior design class (MEMS 4110) at Washington University in St. Louis, we were tasked with creating a demonstration for the St. Louis Science Center that demonstrated an engineering principle or concept. The Science Center functions as a science-oriented museum and saw more than 600,000 visitors in 2024. For our demonstration, we wanted to showcase the principles of kinematic motion. Kinematic motion is study of the motion of objects without considering applied forces. Additionally, when the acceleration of an object is either zero or held constant, the trajectory path that the object follows can be described by a few simple equations known as the kinematic equations. A baseball flying through the air can be described using the kinematic equations as it feels a constant acceleration from the force of gravity.

Author's School

McKelvey School of Engineering

Author's Department

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Class Name

Mechanical Engineering Design Project (MEMS 411)

Recommended Citation

Strauss, Jackson; Cohen, Avery; Gao, Wilson; and Galloway, Jack, "MEMS 4110: Air Cannon Launcher Demo" (2025). Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class. 264.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mems411/264