STEM News

VCE Systems Engineering - Tennis Ball Throwers

Year 11 Systems Engineering students have been throwing their weight around (so to speak). 

They have been designing and building a tennis ball throwing device that implemented as many mechanical principles and components as possible. This included pulleys, counterweights, levers, wheels and axles, bearings, cams and the list goes on. 

Their devices and inventions were quite impressive, with the challenge to throw the tennis ball the farthest which set an astonishing 28 meters by Christian and Lachlan (pictured holding their project). 

Christian attributed part of the success to incorporating a ‘floating arm’ mechanism to the group’s design. 

Isaac (pictured left of the three students) explained the secret to a great outcome in the tennis ball throwing project was “teamwork”. 

The challenge even saw the students coming in the workshop at lunchtime to make additions, alterations and modifications to their kinetic creations. It will be interesting to see what comes next from this group of exciting young “STEM-gineers”!

Tom Martin

Technology Teacher