Purpose:

A toy that shows energy conversion.

Function:

The user can pull back the carrier and feel some force on the wheels. When the user releases the carrier, it moves forwards. A slingshot is attached to the carrier’s top, and the user can use it to launch pre-prepared or self-made paper airplanes.

Convert elastic potential energy to kinetic energy:
Pull-back mechanic with elastic bands.
Slingshot.

Aircraft Carrier: Empty cardboard box on wheels that can move forward when pulled back.

Launcher/Slingshot: Attached to the Aircraft Carrier, can launch small paper airplanes.

User:

Boys and girls ages 10-18, since the toy may be too childish for people over 18 and hazardous to children younger than 10, as there are tiny paper airplanes that can be a swallow hazard.

Inspiration:

During my brainstorming stage, I took inspiration from the toy cars in the Science classroom that I interacted with during experiments. I thought it would be an exciting project to reference and improve. I had fun playing with the toy cars, and it clearly showed the conversion of elastic potential energy to kinetic energy.

I did not want to design a car with a complex shape, as it would be too difficult to create, so I searched online for simple, rectangular-shaped vehicles.

My first find was a fire truck. It had a simple shape and recognizable features, but I could not think of another energy conversion I could add to a fire truck (one energy conversion was too simple).

Looking at the ladder attached to the top of the fire truck, I thought of those medieval trebuchets and ballistas that were on wheels and launched objects into the air.

Though they fit my needs, I didn’t want my toy to launch arrows and bombs. I then stumbled upon a picture of an aircraft carrier.
Paper airplanes were accessible, easy to make, and not dangerous if you didn’t try to swallow them. I settled on an aircraft carrier as my theme.

Creativity and Originality:

I will use a tutorial online for the pull-back mechanic with the elastic band. But I will alter the mechanic to fit my design better (I will use two elastic bands instead of one, and they will be placed on the wheels instead of the axles.)

For creativity, I have pre-made three types of paper airplanes to give the user more choices and variation.

I will not follow any guides on constructing the vehicle body and wheels. The designs will all be original.