DT-10: The 10 Meter Drop Tower (2025)

Abstract

DT-10 (The 10 Meter Drop Tower) is a portable and affordable alternative to traditional drop towers, designed for educational purposes. The tower is intended for studying key principles of physics, including but not limited to aerodynamic properties, instantaneous velocity, and drag. The drop tower is constructed from readily available components, such as extruded aluminum, lasers, 3D-printed components, microcontrollers, and sensors. This prototype consists of five subsystems: the Gravity-Gate (to drop an object into free-fall), the Gravity-Claw (to drop smaller and lighter objects), the LiDAR (to gather data points during free-fall), the Velocity-Gate (to measure an object's instantaneous velocity), and the Impulse-Catch (to safely catch objects). This poster aims to attract investors for future prototypes of DT-10 to improve the tower’s safety mechanisms, high repetition rates, and impact force measuring, while maintaining a cost-effective option to increase marketability.