Engineer builds ‘Batman-quality’ grappling gun in only one year
The gun can pull the wearer ten metres in three seconds
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Your support makes all the difference.A YouTuber has built a real-life recreation of a grappling hook, akin to ones seen in Batman movies and video games like Just Cause.
The gun, which was developed on the Built IRL YouTube channel by JT, took over a year to develop.
JT began the process while working with the Hacksmith Industries YouTube channel, and has documented its progress in a series of videos.
The end result is an aluminium chassis that holds a 10,000W skateboard motor, attached to a custom-built grappling hook.
The hook is propelled using 12-gram CO2 cartridges, operated by an an analogue throttle wheel controlled by the wearer’s thumb – meaning that the gun can both pull someone upwards and let them drop downwards after.
Testing the contraption, JT could shoot the 14 metres of cord contained in the machine to the top of a climbing wall and managed to elevate 10 meters in just three seconds.
However, the build does show the limitations of the gadget; the device is hard to control, and can put a definite strain on the wearer’s arm.
JT highlighted other grappling-guns that have been developed by other YouTubers, as well as on the TV show Mythbusters, but due to the intensity of his gun and the ease of which he can hook to other objects, believes his is the best – despite the time it took to take the project from just a plan to a real-life superhero tool.
The YouTuber is currently working on his next project, a Spider-Man style web shooter, which will hopefully have the same success as this impressive gadget.
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