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03-09-2007, 02:14 AM
| #1 | |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 10,277
| Man relieves college life with beer-tossing fridge Quote:
Video: Soon, Americans Will Lack The Need To Move - Deadspin RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) -- An engineering graduate has built a contraption to help remind him of campus life: a refrigerator that can toss a can of beer to his couch with the click of a remote control. When John Cornwell graduated from Duke University last year, he landed a job as software engineer in Atlanta, Georgia, but soon found himself longing for his college lifestyle. "I conceived it right after I got out," said Cornwell, who graduated from Duke University in May 2006. "I missed the college scene. It embodies the college spirit that I didn't want to let go of." It took the 22-year-old Cornwell about 150 hours and $400 in parts to modify a minifridge common to many college dorm rooms into the beer-tossing machine, which can launch 10 cans of beer from its magazine before needing a reload. With a click of the remote, fashioned from a car's keyless entry device, a small elevator inside the refrigerator lifts a beer can through a hole and loads it into the fridge's catapult arm. A second click fires the device, tossing the beer up to 20 feet (6 meters) -- "far enough to get to the couch," he said. Is there a foam explosion when the can is opened? Not if the recipient uses "soft hands" to cradle the can when caught, Cornwell said. In developing his beer catapult, Cornwell said he dented a few walls and came close to accidentally throwing a can through his television. He has since fine-tuned the machine to land a beer where he usually sits at home, on what he called "a right-angle couch system." For now, the machine throws only cans, although Cornwell has thought about making a version that can throw a bottle. The most beer he has run through the machine was at a party, when he launched a couple of 24-can cases. "I did launch a lot watching the Super Bowl," he said. "My friends are the reason I built it. I told them about the idea and hyped it so much and I had to go through with it." A video featuring the device is a hit on the Internet, where more than 600,000 people have watched it at metacafe.com, earning Cornwell more than $3,000 from the Web site. Cornwell said he has talked to a brewing company about the machine, but right now only one exists. Asked if he might start building some for sale, he said: "I'm keeping that option open, depending on interest." When Cornwell was a student at Duke he participated in the engineering school's robotic basketball contests, said mechanical engineering Professor Bob Kielb. He said students tried to build a robot that could retrieve a ping-pong ball and toss it into a small hoop. "He always did well in it," Kielb said. "He came up with completely unique ideas."
__________________ "Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?" | |
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03-09-2007, 11:33 AM
| #2 |
| Der Crewchief   Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 33,152
| Been posted allready, last week....  Thought I would say that because everytime someone posts something that you have allready posted you have to make that clear. Okay now carry on!
__________________  fly boy:"isnt that the first jet bomber becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles"[/I] |
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03-09-2007, 12:18 PM
| #3 | |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 10,277
| Quote:
With so many things being posted here, I cant remember everything!
__________________ "Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?" | |
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03-09-2007, 12:27 PM
| #4 |
| Der Crewchief Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 33,152
| I know... I just felt like bugging you.
__________________ fly boy:"isnt that the first jet bomber becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles"[/I] |
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03-09-2007, 12:45 PM
| #5 |
| IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO  Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 16,049
| He should go work for a defence contractor - he could modify that thing so it throws grenades!
__________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"  |
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03-09-2007, 01:24 PM
| #6 |
| Der Crewchief Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 33,152
| Better yet he can give one to me.
__________________ fly boy:"isnt that the first jet bomber becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles"[/I] |
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03-09-2007, 02:07 PM
| #7 |
| aka Dickcheese  Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Washington State
Posts: 13,382
| Yeah I can see Adler having his German Paulaner Salvatore liter bottles tossed to him so he can enjoy that frothy head overflowing all over his wife's beautiful couch.
__________________  "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the [U.S.] Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan Master of Duplicate Posts |
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03-10-2007, 07:02 AM
| #8 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,945
 | does he seriously think there will be no interest? every student in the world will want one.......
__________________  "Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." |
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03-10-2007, 07:53 AM
| #9 |
| "World Traveller"   Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK
Posts: 15,215
 | I'm a student and I want one... Shame I can't have it in my room because of hall regulations  (last person to be kicked out of hall was for having a fridge in their room). Oh well maybe next year.
__________________  "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts" Sir Winston Churchill "To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today" Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum My Photo Collections on Flickr |
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03-10-2007, 12:10 PM
| #10 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 10,277
| Hi Lanc! Good to see you back!
__________________ "Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?" |
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03-10-2007, 12:53 PM
| #11 | |
| Der Crewchief Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 33,152
| Quote:
Okay you are right... 
__________________ fly boy:"isnt that the first jet bomber becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles"[/I] | |
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03-10-2007, 12:56 PM
| #12 |
| aka Dickcheese Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Washington State
Posts: 13,382
| You had me going for a second there, Adler. I actually for a picosecond thought you were the only male on the planet who was in control of his own destiny. The POW. You bring me back to reality. 
__________________ "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the [U.S.] Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan Master of Duplicate Posts |
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03-10-2007, 01:12 PM
| #13 |
| Der Crewchief Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 33,152
| I have been married long eneogh to be taken back down to earth. I used to think I would let my wife think that she was in charge, let her pretend you know. She has been doing that with me the longest time now..
__________________ fly boy:"isnt that the first jet bomber becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles"[/I] |
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03-11-2007, 07:17 AM
| #14 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Deep in suburban Surrey
Posts: 1,876
 | I know you are right, and I'm not even officially married...
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03-11-2007, 12:37 PM
| #15 |
| Der Crewchief Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 33,152
| Women hold the power my friend. It is the power of the vagina! (used that word because it is not censored )
__________________ fly boy:"isnt that the first jet bomber becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles"[/I] |
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