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3-story-tall Ponginator shoots Ping Pong balls fast enough to kill a man
From the Maker Faire in Austin, Texas comes this robotic monstrosity known as the Ponginator, a 3-story-tall turret that fires Ping Pong balls. It's mounted on a bucket lift and its soft-shelled ordnance leaves its pressurized air cannons at a whopping 170 miles-per-hour. Luckily for the people it's firing at, it's usually high above the ground and the Ping Pong balls fall in a harmless arc in a controlled sequence.
The Ponginator is the work of the Austin Robotics Group, who built it to "get people excited about technology again" and start a dialogue about robots. Or get people screaming and running away from robots. Either way, it's probably every geeky kid's dream come true since General Grievous busted out not one, not two, but four lightsabers.
Check out the video above to see the Ponginator in action.
Geeks Are Sexy, via Botropolis
CORRECTION: Thanks for the catch, Jaye Vee!
By Karpet at 9:33 AM ON 02/12/09
170 MPH = 250 feet per second. Boo, that is slower then a paintball, with less mass and more surface area. A small child would wave that off. Come back when there is a 1000 FPS+ rail gun on that thing, not some run of the mill spud guns. Fail.
By Geeks are Sexy at 10:41 AM ON 02/12/09
Well, "fast enough to kill a man" only if he stands right in front of the canons maybe.. but we have a second video on our website showing the Ponginator shooting.. and since ping pong balls are so light, they decelerate extremely quickly.
By Geeks are Sexy at 10:47 AM ON 02/12/09
By Vern at 12:30 PM ON 02/12/09
KARPET: We did try higher pressure in the guns. Unfortunately the "muzzle velocity" maxed out at 170 because, beyond that speed, the ping pong ball would disintegrate from the pressure and become "confetti". :) The point was to deliver souvenir ping pong balls to kids, not to "kill a man" nor break land-speed records for Ping Pong Balls. ;) If you like, you can see a complete firing sequence here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yarncar/3017194161
By biker dude at 2:06 PM ON 02/12/09
all that and no actual shooting? what a lame video
By Geeks are Sexy at 2:46 PM ON 02/12/09
Biker Dude: Open your eyes and read the comments.
By Jaye Vee at 4:38 PM ON 02/12/09
Ordnance. Not ordinance, btw.
By Mars2025 at 10:55 AM ON 02/14/09
I can do the same thing with a dt pepsi and a mentos.
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