The Judges Committee has awarded this submission

EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING DESIGN

PROJECT SUMMARY

I made a structure that would protect an egg at a free fall. It was composed by a big triangle made up of straws linked to a paper parachute. The main components I used on the project were straws, paper, and tape.

WHY?

I opted to work on this project because I had already heard about the egg drop contest, and I found the concept interesting. I used this experience to explore ways to decelerate an object. In the future, I can use what I learned to create a prototype for a rocket parachute.

HOW?

I created my project with straws, tape, and paper. I used the straws to create a protecting case for the egg, which is placed in the middle of the straws structure. The straws were put together with tape, creating a triangular shape. I linked a paper parachute to the straws to lower the velocity of its free fall.

WHAT?

My project was a success. I let my prototype fall over from my balcony into my garden, and the egg didn't creak. I was expecting the straws to tilt a bit, but it didn't happen.

SO WHAT?

The results of my experiment were good because they prove that I can create a structure that can slow a fragile object at a free fall with basic materials. This means that I could use similar but more robust projects to protect more significant objects.

WHAT'S NEXT?

To improve my project, I would change the parachute. I would need to experiment to see if I should change for a parachute made of a plastic bag or expand the paper parachute to cover a more extensive area. Another possibility would be to make the straws structure with fewer straws and less tape for its weight to be lighter.

REFERENCES/ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I've got my main reference from Mark Rober's youtube channel. After watching his videos I looked for similar ones on youtube.

JUDGES FEEDBACK

I was fascinated by this original attempt at an egg drop. I love how you used the length of a straw in order to protect the egg by essentially giving it a "crumple zone." (This was a development in automotive design in which a car "crumples" upon impact in order to spread the force of the impact to different places.) This of course spread the impact to other straws instead of only the egg. A potential exploration would be to try it without the parachute, and see if you can design something with the straws that would survive a direct impact. Very intriguing design and striking presentation.

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