Kangaroot: the Bio-Inspired Hopper
September 2019 - October 2019
This project was my introduction to the design process at the collegiate level. The goal was simple: design a bio-inspired hopper using only the materials provided. This was the first project in my "Design Nature" class, for which I later became a course assistant--helping other first-years navigate the design process as they adjust to their first semester of college.
For this project, I was given the rare opportunity to entirely dictate my own design goal. I was the primary stakeholder, and the only outside requirements were that my hopper must be bio-inspired in some way, and that it must "hop" two or more seconds after being placed on a tabletop.
For my personal design goal, I decided to create a kangaroo rat-inspired hopper designed to jump as high as possible and look elegant. I started with sketches of several designs, before choosing a few to test in a benchtop model, which you can see in this picture.
Once I had a clearer idea of what materials I could work with, I chose a design and modeled it in Fusion 360. This let me check that my 2D design would translate well to 3D space without investing too much time fabricating it.
From there, I built my first prototype. It required some changes from the CAD model, but had the same overall idea.
The first iteration was made quickly, as just a proof of concept. It was held together by glue, zip ties, and rubber bands. But despite its crudeness, the trigger mechanism worked and it jumped!
I then began to iterate on the design. I knew that the heavy tail was weighing my hopper down, so I experimented with lighter ways to prevent the hopper from tipping over backward. I also worked on streamlining the hopper's body and foot.
In the end, I had a hopper with a sleek design and a reliable trigger. Its curved spring-wire legs captured the motion of the powerful hind legs of the kangaroo rat, and it consistently jumped several feet into the air.
