In a quest to set the world record for the furthest thrown regulation-size golf disc, the engineers of the YouTube channel We Make Machines built a massive disc launcher that spins so fast it launches discs at over 150MPH. For reference, the fastest recorded throw for a professional disc golfer is 89.5MPH, and for a complete amateur like myself, not even a quarter of that.
Using the knowledge they gained from building a mini-disc launcher last year, the group scaled up the design and ran into numerous problems as a result. Most of those problems involved the incredible centripetal force generated by such a quickly spinning object breaking and bending its metal components. That…sounds terrifying.
In the end, their machine is able to launch a regulation disc 1,393 feet (over a 1/4 mile), beating the record set by human David Wiggins Jr in 40+ MPH winds of 1,109 feet. My personal best? About 80 feet, then the disc turned around and came right back at me and I had to duck. So possibly zero feet depending on how you measure.
[via TheAwesomer]
With over 17 years of writing experience, Jonathan has had a passion for all things tech-related, ever since watching Inspector Gadget as a child. He's disassembled countless appliances and managed to put a few back together, and one still works. When not writing, he can often be found playing video games or accidentally hurting himself in the garage.