Toys in space project

[DyslexicHobo]

My high school is doing a distance-learning project with students from Russia along with the NASA center in Alabama. Our project is more of a mind exercise to see what we come up with, rather than something that will actually be used (although it could prove to be a lot of fun for astronauts!). Basically, our design team is a group of 15 kids from AP physics and chemistry classes; our goal is to modify an existing or create a new "toy" for astronauts to use in one of the following three places: the moon, mars, or the ISS. The "toy" can be aimed at any age group, there's not very tight restrictions--only that it be practical (to some extent).

Obviously we want to take advantage of the microgravity. Building a toy to play with in the space station with no gravity opens so many possibilities, as does the 1/6 gravity on the moon and 2/5 gravity on mars. We would like to be able to build a prototype, but it is not required.

What do you guys think would be fun to play with in space? Something that couldn't operate with Earth's gravitational force, but would be entertaining in a microgravity environment?

 

[So]

How about a game of "blob of pencil shaving suspended in water" catch?

 

[hjo3]

The first thing I thought of was those moon boot things (link), but I don't think you'd really need to modify them.

 

[DyslexicHobo]

Originally posted by: So
How about a game of "blob of pencil shaving suspended in water" catch?

Haha. Half the time we're supposed to be brainstorming ideas, we're really just imagining how cool it'd be to have a bottle of water in a zero-G environment. Just watching the blobs of water flow by would be awesome; it's like a lava lamp, but not hot and not contained!

 

[Tobolo]

Cool project. I hope they make the winners and send it up on a shuttle or a soyez capsule for some good time fun.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: DyslexicHobo

Originally posted by: So
How about a game of "blob of pencil shaving suspended in water" catch?

Haha. Half the time we're supposed to be brainstorming ideas, we're really just imagining how cool it'd be to have a bottle of water in a zero-G environment. Just watching the blobs of water flow by would be awesome; it's like a lava lamp, but not hot and not contained!

Your wish is my command

 

[DyslexicHobo]

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: DyslexicHobo

Originally posted by: So
How about a game of "blob of pencil shaving suspended in water" catch?

Haha. Half the time we're supposed to be brainstorming ideas, we're really just imagining how cool it'd be to have a bottle of water in a zero-G environment. Just watching the blobs of water flow by would be awesome; it's like a lava lamp, but not hot and not contained!

Your wish is my command

I've seen it already. <3 the HT forum.

This guy is boring though. I'd rather take blobs of water and launch them at people! I guess that'd be a little dangerous to do in a space shuttle with a lot of electrical equipment, though.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: DyslexicHobo

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: DyslexicHobo

Originally posted by: So
How about a game of "blob of pencil shaving suspended in water" catch?

Haha. Half the time we're supposed to be brainstorming ideas, we're really just imagining how cool it'd be to have a bottle of water in a zero-G environment. Just watching the blobs of water flow by would be awesome; it's like a lava lamp, but not hot and not contained!

Your wish is my command

I've seen it already. <3 the HT forum.

This guy is boring though. I'd rather take blobs of water and launch them at people! I guess that'd be a little dangerous to do in a space shuttle with a lot of electrical equipment, though.

But oh so fun. Someday, when we have a huge space station, we can have a gym with a 3d pool.

 

[DyslexicHobo]

Originally posted by: So
But oh so fun. Someday, when we have a huge space station, we can have a gym with a 3d pool.

Yeah... oh how I hate the fact that Earth is such a massive body!

Speaking of 3d pool, we were discussing 3d billiards! How cool would it be to say "I call the corner pocket", but have to specify both left or right, AND whether it's the top or bottom!

 

[SSSnail]

Send them a yo-yo, and an etch-a-sketch.

 

[DyslexicHobo]

Originally posted by: SSSnail
Send them a yo-yo, and an etch-a-sketch.

I hope you were joking, right?

Neither would work in space!

 

[jagec]

fleshlight?

 

[sao123]

how about a device which would allow you to have sex in null G?

 

[SSSnail]

Originally posted by: sao123
how about a device which would allow you to have sex in null G?

All you'd really need is a giant rubber band.

 

[hjo3]

Originally posted by: So
But oh so fun. Someday, when we have a huge space station, we can have a gym with a 3d pool.

Seems like it'd be extremely easy to drown in one of those...

 

[DyslexicHobo]

Some of the ideas they gave us were pretty lame: cup+ball, but instead of a string, use an elastic band + magnetic ball/cup; a "modified boomerang" that would work in space, but doesn't come back to you (*cough*FRISBEE*cough*); other things that seemed dumb to me, so I stopped paying attention and started thinking of something original.

Right now, the path that seems the most fun is a remote-controlled aircraft. It will be a cylindrical craft with a some type of propulsion (most likely a 120mm case fan or compressed air, still undecided), and RC controlled fins for direction. We are trying to determine if a constantly-spinning gyroscope inside should be used to help counteract spinning of the fan (if a fan is used). It can be used for different styles of gameplay: with a Velcro attachment on its end it can be used for a game similar to darts, or it be flown through floating hoops.

A simpler idea that I had would be a 3-D maze with a metal ball. The object of the game would be to put the ball in one end of a cube, and maneuver the cube around the ball (or banking the ball off the walls to achieve desired direction) to make the ball come to the opposite corner of the cube. Obviously this would have to be made of a clear plastic or acrylic.

This is still just a very vague idea and we're not really sure where exactly we're going, but we want to do something that shows some creativity and work.


Edit: forgot to mention, both of the toys that I mentioned are, of course, rough drafts. Both are designed to work only on the space station, but could possibly be modified to work elsewhere.