RAPID CITY, S.D. (Oct. 2, 2017) – Budding scientists and engineers at the South Dakota School of Mines
& Technology put their skills to the test in a public display of
ingenuity at the annual Pumpkin Chunkin contest (video here). The event was held at
Memorial Park in downtown Rapid City as part of the Great
Downtown Pumpkin Festival.
SD Mines teams who took part included representatives of the Society of Physics Students
(SPS) and the university’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing Production (CAMP). Teams have designed trebuchets, or catapults,
that will toss pumpkins high overhead in a competition for the most accurate
and farthest flight.
The SD Mines Steel Bridge Team,
part of CAMP, won the contest this year with 640 points. Scoring is based on both accuracy and distance. This year's Pumpkin Chuckin crowd was estimated at 4000 people.
The Society of Physics Students is a professional association that includes
students and their advisers. Membership, through collegiate chapters, is open
to anyone interested in physics. The SD
Mines SPS chapter is active in several community events annually.
CAMP is a unique
nationally-recognized program that brings together students, faculty and industry
leaders to partner on hands-on real-world projects. Students participating in
CAMP can be part of a team preparing for national competition by building
alternative fuel vehicles, a concrete canoe, an unmanned aerial vehicle, or a
mini Indy or Baja car, or working on projects involving robotics or hydrogen
fuel cells.