Boom was by far my favorite event when I competed back in 2013-2014, so during my senior year when I had to write a final paper on a research topic of my choosing it made sense to write about the booms I built for the previous year. Looking back at this paper now I realize it’s actually pretty poorly written (I found some typos haha), but I figured it might be useful for some people. If you're just starting I would recommend focusing on fundamentals like having a well-built base and high build quality before getting creative with different types of compression members.
The being said, the paper follows the optimization of the design I ended up focusing on in 2013. In 2013 I tested ~70 booms, of which 23 had this design (the essay focuses on 9 compression failures under this design). I would say it definitely isn’t the best design to use, but it was simple to build. Pages 12-20 describe my thought process for the changes I made between iterations to improve the design from 1000 -> 1580 efficiency (1580 being the last test of the year, which placed 4th at nationals).
If you are interested in any of the other designs I used from 2013-2014, I did a large photodump in the image gallery at the end of the season.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uWV7hq ... sp=sharing
Might be useful
2 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Re: Might be useful
Post by Kragy »
This is so cool! I'm an IB Diploma candidate too, so I totally get where this is coming from. Thank you for this amazing resource.
2 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Jump to
- Welcome to the 2023 Season!
- Event Forums
- ↳ Build Events
- ↳ Bridge B/C
- ↳ Detector Building C
- ↳ Flight B/C
- ↳ Mission Possible C [TRIAL]
- ↳ Roller Coaster B
- ↳ Scrambler C
- ↳ Storm the Castle B/Trajectory C
- ↳ Wheeled Vehicle B
- ↳ Lab Events
- ↳ It's About Time C
- ↳ Sounds of Music B
- ↳ WiFi Lab C
- ↳ Study Events
- ↳ Trial Events
- ↳ Question Marathons
- Competition Forums
- ↳ General Competition
- ↳ SSSS & SMEC
- ↳ Invitationals
- ↳ Regionals & States
- ↳ Nationals
- ↳ Alumni
- Off-Topic Forums
- ↳ General Chat
- ↳ Posting Games
- ↳ Assassinator Games
- ↳ The Polling Place
- Administrative
- ↳ Announcements
- ↳ Feedback
- Team Forums
- ↳ How to get an (invisible) team forum
- Archives
- ↳ Old Board - 2001-2008
- ↳ 2009
- ↳ 2009 Build Events
- ↳ 2009 Lab Events
- ↳ 2009 Study Events
- ↳ 2009 Invitationals, Regionals, and States
- ↳ 2009 Nationals
- ↳ 2010
- ↳ 2010 Build Events
- ↳ Wright Stuff B
- ↳ Mission Possible C
- ↳ 2010 Lab Events
- ↳ 2010 Study Events
- ↳ 2010 Invitationals, Regionals, and States
- ↳ 2010 Nationals
- ↳ 2011
- ↳ 2011 Build Events
- ↳ Towers B/C
- ↳ Mission Possible C
- ↳ Helicopters C
- ↳ 2011 Lab Events
- ↳ 2011 Study Events
- ↳ 2011 Invitationals, Regionals, and States
- ↳ 2011 Nationals
- ↳ 2012
- ↳ 2012 Build Events
- ↳ Helicopters C
- ↳ Mission Possible B
- ↳ Towers B/C
- ↳ 2012 Lab Events
- ↳ 2012 Study Events
- ↳ 2012 Nationals
- ↳ 2013
- ↳ 2013 Build Events
- ↳ Helicopters B
- ↳ Boomilever B/C
- ↳ Mission Possible B
- ↳ 2013 Lab Events
- ↳ 2013 Study Events
- ↳ 2013 Invitationals, Regionals, and States
- ↳ 2013 Nationals
- ↳ 2013 News
- ↳ 2014
- ↳ 2014 Build Events
- ↳ 2014 Lab Events
- ↳ 2014 Study Events
- ↳ 2014 Question Marathons
- ↳ 2014 Invitationals, Regionals, and States
- ↳ 2014 Nationals
- ↳ 2014 News
- ↳ 2015
- ↳ 2015 Build Events
- ↳ Bridge Building B/C
- ↳ Mission Possible C
- ↳ Wright Stuff C
- ↳ 2015 Lab Events
- ↳ 2015 Study Events
- ↳ 2015 Question Marathons
- ↳ Question Marathons Explained
- ↳ 2015 Invitationals, Regionals, and States
- ↳ 2015 Competition Advertising
- ↳ 2015 Nationals
- ↳ 2015 News
- ↳ 2016
- ↳ 2016 Build Events
- ↳ Air Trajectory B/C
- ↳ Bridge Building B/C
- ↳ Elastic Launch Glider B
- ↳ Electric Vehicle C
- ↳ Mission Possible B
- ↳ Robot Arm C
- ↳ Wright Stuff C
- ↳ 2016 Lab Events
- ↳ Wind Power B/C
- ↳ 2016 Study Events
- ↳ 2016 Question Marathons
- ↳ 2016 Invitationals, Regionals, and States
- ↳ 2016 Competition Advertising
- ↳ 2016 Nationals
- ↳ 2016 News
- ↳ 2017
- ↳ 2017 Build Events
- ↳ Bottle Rocket B
- ↳ Electric Vehicle C
- ↳ Helicopters C
- ↳ Mission Possible B
- ↳ Robot Arm C
- ↳ Scrambler B
- ↳ Towers B/C
- ↳ Wright Stuff B
- ↳ Hovercraft B/C
- ↳ 2017 Lab Events
- ↳ 2017 Study Events
- ↳ 2017 Question Marathons
- ↳ 2017 Invitationals, Regionals, and States
- ↳ 2017 Competition Advertising
- ↳ 2017 Nationals
- ↳ 2018
- ↳ 2018 Build Events
- ↳ Battery Buggy B
- ↳ Helicopters C
- ↳ Mission Possible C
- ↳ Mousetrap Vehicle C
- ↳ Roller Coaster B
- ↳ Towers B/C
- ↳ Wright Stuff B
- ↳ 2018 Lab Events
- ↳ 2018 Study Events
- ↳ 2018 Question Marathons
- ↳ 2018 Invitationals
- ↳ 2018 Regionals & States
- ↳ 2018 Nationals
- ↳ 2019
- ↳ 2019 Build Events
- ↳ Battery Buggy B
- ↳ Boomilever B/C
- ↳ Elastic Launched Gliders B
- ↳ Mission Possible C
- ↳ Mousetrap Vehicle C
- ↳ Roller Coaster B
- ↳ Wright Stuff C
- ↳ 2019 Lab Events
- ↳ Thermodynamics B/C
- ↳ 2019 Study Events
- ↳ 2019 Question Marathons
- ↳ 2019 Invitationals
- ↳ 2019 Regionals & States
- ↳ 2019 Nationals
- ↳ 2020
- ↳ 2020 Build Events
- ↳ Boomilever B/C
- ↳ Detector Building C
- ↳ Elastic Launched Glider B
- ↳ Gravity Vehicle C
- ↳ Mission Possible B
- ↳ Mousetrap Vehicle B
- ↳ Ping Pong Parachute B/C
- ↳ Wright Stuff C
- ↳ 2020 Lab Events
- ↳ Machines B/C
- ↳ Protein Modeling C
- ↳ 2020 Study Events
- ↳ 2020 Question Marathons
- ↳ 2020 Invitationals
- ↳ 2020 Regionals & States
- ↳ 2020 Nationals
- ↳ 2021
- ↳ 2021 Build Events
- ↳ Boomilever B/C
- ↳ Link to Forum From Previous Season: Boomilever B/C (2020)
- ↳ Digital Structures B/C [mini SO, Satellite SO]
- ↳ Detector Building C
- ↳ Link to Forum From Previous Season: Detector Building C (2020)
- ↳ Elastic Launched Glider B
- ↳ Link to Forum From Previous Season: Elastic Launched Glider B (2020)
- ↳ Gravity Vehicle C
- ↳ Link to Forum From Previous Season: Gravity Vehicle C (2020)
- ↳ Helicopters B/C [Possible mini SO, Satellite SO Replacement]
- ↳ Mission Possible B
- ↳ Link to Forum From Previous Season: Mission Possible B (2020)
- ↳ Mousetrap Vehicle B
- ↳ Link to Forum From Previous Season: Mousetrap Vehicle B (2020)
- ↳ Ping Pong Parachute B/C
- ↳ Link to Forum From Previous Season: Ping Pong Parachute B/C (2020)
- ↳ Wright Stuff C
- ↳ Link to Forum From Previous Season: Wright Stuff C (2020)
- ↳ Link to Forum From Previous Season: Build Events (2020)
- ↳ 2021 Lab Events
- ↳ Machines B/C
- ↳ Protein Modeling C
- ↳ Link to Forum From Previous Season: Lab Events (2020)
- ↳ 2021 Study Events
- ↳ Link to Forum From Previous Season: Study Events (2020)
- ↳ 2021 Question Marathons
- ↳ Link to Forum From Previous Season: Question Marathons (2020)
- ↳ 2021 Invitationals
- ↳ 2021 Regionals & States
- ↳ 2021 Nationals
- ↳ 2022
- ↳ 2022 Build Events
- ↳ Bridge B/C
- ↳ Detector Building C
- ↳ Electric Wright Stuff B
- ↳ Gravity Vehicle C
- ↳ Mission Possible B
- ↳ Mousetrap Vehicle B
- ↳ Storm the Castle B/Trajectory C
- ↳ Ping Pong Parachute B/C
- ↳ Wright Stuff C
- ↳ 2022 Lab Events
- ↳ WiFi Lab C
- ↳ 2022 Study Events
- ↳ 2022 Question Marathons
- ↳ 2022 Invitationals
- ↳ 2022 Regionals & States
- ↳ 2022 Nationals
- Miscellaneous
- ↳ Template: Visible, Topics Disabled, Replies Enabled, Increment Enabled
- ↳ Template: Visible, Topics/Replies Enabled, Increment Enabled, Attachments
- ↳ Template: Visible, Topics/Replies Enabled, Increment Disabled
- ↳ Template: Visible, Topics Approval, Replies Disabled, Increment Disabled (Polls)
- ↳ Template: Visible, Posting Disabled (Locked)