DIY Captain America Shield Can Bounce Back: Fibers, Assembled

There are a thousand replicas and scale models of Captain America’s iconic shield, from action figure accessories and cheap children’s toys to full-on display pieces. But none of them actually work like Cap’s weapon – you can throw them, but that’s like playing catch with a cat. That thing isn’t coming back. Unless you’re YouTuber JLaservideo, who cobbled together a fairly simple but surprisingly effective life-size toy that can bounce back near you.

JLaservideo used fiberglass to create an elastic ring, allowing the shield to deform and bounce back. He then molded the rest of the shield out of carbon fiber to keep it light while still being durable. The key factor that JLaservideo figured out was that he couldn’t directly connect the carbon fiber plate to the fiberglass ring. That version wasn’t elastic enough, and the stress from being thrown on walls even just a few times would damage the plate. So he made a smaller carbon fiber plate, then used latex strips to connect the plate to the ring, creating a buffer between the two main pieces. He also wrapped the ring in carbon fiber for added durability.

You can skip to around 5:12 in the video for the build and about 15:23 for the final demo:

Obviously, JLaservideo’s toy doesn’t bounce back perfectly, but it works well enough that you can mimic Cap’s double wall bounces with it and have to rush only a few steps to have the shield float back to your arms. Speaking of which, he also used small pieces of neodymium magnets to strap the shield to his wrist. If Disney can make a retractable lightsaber, I don’t see why they couldn’t make a more polished version of this toy.

The Frisbee Has Been “Reinvented”, and We’re Not Sure That’s a Good Thing

61 years ago, the Frisbee was born. That was when Wham-O Inc. acquired the rights to the flying disc and officially named it. Now, the company says it’s reinvented the Frisbee. This new version looks wobbly and warped. It is called the Frisbee Sonic.

It is basically a frisbee that has been all twisted up. It’s weird. It’s being funded on Kickstarter, because you know, god forbid they use their own money and just make the damn thing. The crowdfunding campaign advertises the Frisbee Sonic as the “‘square’ Frisbee” that’s “easier to hold and to throw”. Maybe that’s true, but do we really need a new frisbee? And if you watch the video, it looks like the damn thing barely works and doesn’t fly as smoothly as the original.

Hey, I have something for you!… Here’s a busted up old plastic plate. Look how it flies through the air. Seriously, this is stupid and silly. Maybe I’m wrong, for the sake of the backers, but I doubt it because I’m never wrong.

[via Gizmodo]

A frisbee’s eye view

If you’re ever wondering what sitting in an alien UFO feels like, I guess it pretty much feels like sitting on top of a frisbee… And that experience can be arranged for.

VFO, short for Video Flying Object is a frisbee mounted camera that records the frisbee in flight at 720p. Unlike most cases that allow you to put a GoPro into them, the VFO is a standalone camera (rather reasonably priced, at that) in a waterproof casing mounted on the top of a frisbee. It swivels freely at its pivot point, and even comes with a fin on the back that keeps the camera facing forwards while the frisbee is spinning, instead of rotating arbitrarily and giving you a chaotic mess of video footage. In fact, check the video above out for a demo!

Designer: Brookstone

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VFO: A Frisbee with a Built-in Camera

Is a game of frisbee not high-tech enough for you? Well, Brookstone, is selling this VFO (Video Flying Object) with a 720P video camera for you to destroy. Okay, they say it’s “super rugged” but clearly you haven’t seen me throw a frisbee.

The camera does not record audio, so you will be missing out on the sound of wind and nothing else. You’ll just have to settle for no sound with your videos, where your frisbee takes a trip along the route that you are already aware of, because you threw the thing after all.

You could always attach your GoPro to a frisbee instead, if you think it will fly. Somehow I don’t see this selling well.

[via Geekologie]

TRON Identity Disc Frisbee: Have a Fling in Flynn’s Arcade

Fans of TRON will immediately recognize this as the identity disc from the original 1982 sci-fi flick. Programs (also known as actors in goofy costumes) would use their identity discs (also known as striped frisbees) to not only store their program data, but are used as weapons. It never made sense to me that you’d toss your identity around at your enemies like that, but I’m no Master Control Program, so what do I know?

If you want to make sure your program data is saved, and nobody derezzes you, then you should grab this TRON identity disc that I spotted over on Etsy.

Yes, it’s basically just a smooth white Frisbee with vinyl graphics on it, but Portland artist JamesBit hand-applies the concentric blue circles to ensure they fit perfectly and stick, something you probably don’t want to try for yourself, based on my personal experience with applying decals.

Sadly, it doesn’t light up like the ones in the movie, but it’s still pretty cool. If you want your own identity disc, you can grab one for $25(USD).

The post TRON Identity Disc Frisbee: Have a Fling in Flynn’s Arcade appeared first on Technabob.

DIY Frisbee Launcher: We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Lawn

Last year, we saw an angle-grinder chucking compact discs at high speed. La Fabrique DIY came up with a similar but less life-threatening contraption by repurposing a drill to launch frisbees.

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The crude but effective launcher uses the drill to turn a bicycle wheel, which in turn flings the frisbees with the help of a wooden feeder.

Unfortunately, La Fabrique DIY didn’t provide a detailed guide for the launcher, so you might lose a frisbee or 10 while you’re perfecting your own build.

[via Gadgetify]

Mini Frisbee Golf Set

frisbee golf Mini Frisbee Golf Set
Play disc golf in your own backyard or anywhere else with the Wham-o Mini Frisbee Golf Set. Mini Frisbee Golf Set This set comes with six mini-frisbee discs and one disc golf target with metal chains to catch the discs in the basket. This kid-sized set is suitable for outdoor or indoor playing! Measures about 30″ tall.
mini disc golf basket Mini Frisbee Golf Set
Small enough to take with you, it can go to the beach, park, or anywhere else. Great for spots where there’s no ball playing allowed but frisbee is ok. This set is much smaller than a full sized disc golf goal,  Mini Frisbee Golf Set however it’s also not $100. Great introduction to the sport. You could even set one up in your office, if you’re cool (and you’re boss is cool. or you’re the cool boss.)
buy now Mini Frisbee Golf Set

Mini Frisbee Golf Set
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Fli-Tunes: Frisbee and Smartphone Amplifier

flitunes e1384986217237 Fli Tunes: Frisbee and Smartphone Amplifier
Make your music louder and your day sportier with the Fli-Tunes. This two-in-one device is a frisbee you can chuck around with your buds and a smartphone amplifier. More like ampli-flyer, amirite? After you’re done showing off your athleticism (or lack thereof), just pop out the middle of the Fli-Tunes to make it into a cone-like speaker shape and make your music louder. It’s the ultimate frisbee.

buy now Fli Tunes: Frisbee and Smartphone Amplifier

Fli-Tunes: Frisbee and Smartphone Amplifier

Robots Compete by Throwing Frisbees and Climbing Pyramids

I’m sure that this is just a small taste of what we can expect from future robot competitions, just with less killing of humans. This competition is designed to attract more young students to the field of robotics and for today at least, it looks pretty fun. Let’s all enjoy it while we’re still alive.

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The annual First Robotics Competition is being held at San Diego’s Valley View Casino Center aka Sports Arena. The seventh annual competition will have 60 teams. They will compete using 100+ pound robots in a game where they score points by throwing frisbees into a slot in the wall and then climb metal pyramids.

The match starts with a 15-second period where robots operate independently. Each frisbee scored is worth additional points. For the remainder of the two-minute match, drivers control the robots remotely and try to score as many points as possible. Then they try to climb a pyramid. The higher up they get, the more points they get.

The championship will be held in St. Louis on April 24 to 27 and there are $16 million(USD) in scholarships for competitors to win.

[via kpbs]

Sawblade Frisbee

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This flying disc might look pretty dangerous but don’t worry it’s not a real circular saw blade, it’s a frisbee. The Sawblade Throwing Disc Sawblade Frisbee is made of a soft foam which has been scientifically proven to be over 85% less dangerous to throw around than a real metal sawblade. Science ftw! The blood splatters on the disc are a nice touch too. Measures 10″ in diameter. That’s what I call the ultimate frisbee.

buy now Sawblade Frisbee

Sawblade Frisbee