Catapult Challenge

Catapult Challenge 2025

Catapult designs must incorporate a quick release mechanism and will be judged on the catapult’s furthest distance achieved launching a golf ball (best of three attempts).

Have your team? Sign up here!

Entry form is due Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025 at 6pm

Competition Info/Workshop Day:

Friday, November 7, 2025 at 4:30pm in SILab: 44 Cummington Mall, 1st floor

Slides from the Workshop Presentation

Competition Build Days:

Saturday, November 15, 2025 Noon-6pm in SILab: 44 Cummington Mall, 1st floor

Sunday, November 16, 2025 Noon-6pm in SILab: 44 Cummington Mall, 1st floor

Competition/Launch Day:

Saturday, November 22, 2025 at Noon at Nickerson Field, 1010 Commonwealth Ave

Participate or watch – invite your friends!

Prizes:

  • 1st Prize – $500
  • 2nd Prize – $250
  • 3rd Prize – $100

Competition Guidelines:

  • Teams must use only supplies offered during build day, and items provided in general lab stock
  • Teams will have 1 full day to build the catapult (Saturday or Sunday, 12-6pm). You will be assigned a day.
  • Teams must comprise 2 or more Boston University students, and at least one must be a College of Engineering student. If you do not have a team, attend the workshop and you can be paired with a team.
  • Competition is open to both undergraduate and graduate students
  • Catapults must fit in a 2 x 3 x 3′ window
  • Teams will only have access to minimal tools, provided in the lab
  • Students will not be able to use their body as a part of their device
  • You will need to provide all email addresses for all teammates and you will need to respond quickly to event organizers, so that proper planning can be done to accommodate all those interested.

Competition Materials:

  • 2 x 4″ lumber, wood screws, nails, springs, rope, eye hooks
  • Size constraint will be reinforced and checked before the competition
  • Groups cannot use any materials not found in the SILab
  • Weights can be used and may be shared between groups but must be found in the SILab
  • Each group will have 3 launching attempts with a brief interval between them
  • Supplies are limited and so is build time so be sure to get there early!

Competition Criteria:

  • Precision/consistency of launch distances
  • Build quality
  • Creativity
  • Catapult trigger mechanism

2024 Catapult Competition

a wide shot of some of the line of catapults during meetings with the judges

2024 Competition Winners

1st Place – Team 12: Layton Sahler, Dillon Smith

2nd Place – Team 11: Joseph Hall, Chris Kufner

3rd Place – Team 1: Charlie Van Hook, Soud Alkharji

2024 Competition Images

Launch Day Pictures:

2 students stand next to their catapult as it launches 3 students manipulating their catapult to demonstrate while K watches 2 students crouched and working on their catapult while another looks downfield at the competition wide shot of 2 students getting their catapult ready to launch a student stands at a distance while launching her catapult, the orange golf ball is caught in motion as it starts to launch a student crouches next to his catapult as he pulls the cord to launch the golf ball 3 students stand smiling next to their catapult 4 students crouch smiling next to their catapult 2 students crouch and work on their catapult while holding a BU umbrella against the mist a student crouches next to hsi catapult as it launches, you can see a bright green smudge of the golf ball in motion near the catapult 3 judges, the 3rd place student, and K in a line for the picture 2 judges, 1 of the students, the 3rd judge, the 2nd student, and K all in a line the 3 judges, the 2 first place students, and K in a line
a student stands next to his catapult with a bronze ribbon around his neck 2 students crouch next to their catapult with second place ribbons around their necks 2 students standing next to their catapult with first place ribbons around their necks

Build Day Pictures:

2 students using the NC mill to mill out a slot in their board 2 students working together to use the planer on their board 3 students standing around as they sketch plans for their catapult 3 students holding and drilling together a frame for their catapult 2 students each holding a steel rod discussing which one to use in their project 2 students in green shirts holding boards and gesturing with their hands what they plan to cut 3 students in the midground work in various ways on their catapult a student in the foreground manually drilling a tiny hole in a board, a student in the background is holding the frame of his catapult in place 2 students in the foreground workng on cutting a piece of aluminum and marking wood, 2 students in the background are turned to look at the 2 4 students working at a table full of wood and other materials 1 student holds the side support of a catapult against the wooden base frame while the other watches as the two discuss 2 students stand at a partially assembled catapult, holding the launch stick to figure out where to put it a student facing away from the camera watches as his teammate cuts a 2x4 board on the miter saw a student spraying coolant on the bit while he uses the NC mill to cut into a block of aluminum a student setting up his material in the vise to use the drill press 2 students moving around 2x4 boards while building their catapult

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