I have a catapult that can shoot 2 discs pretty consistently. However, if I try to do 3 discs, the discs shoot too low, and when I add more bands onto the cata, the discs shoot so had that they bounce out of the goal. I haven’t been able to find a middle point where it isn’t as powerful yet still goes into the goal.
Note that their catapult is not powered by motors, so changing its velocity via code will not help. They are describing an issue with the elastics powering it, where they have too little now but too much when they add more. While the weight could be changed, one thing that is constant is the weight of three discs, and they might risk jeopardizing the structural integrity of their catapult.
OP, I’d recommend changing the geometry of your banding (where they are mounted to the catapult arm and the catapult tower) to make it more efficient so that you can use the bands you have now to their fullest potential. Additionally, it might be worth it to change the position of the catapult{s hard stop to change the arc of the discs so that they can clear and make it to the high goal.
Please send photos of your catapult here so we can better understand your problem and help you. We can only give broad advice unless we know and can see what exactly is going on.
Hi! It’s great that teams are trying a catapult design. You might need to change the height that disks arc to have them enter the goal better. You can do this by changing the stop height of the catapult.