Remember those shiny circular discs that once dominated the music industry? Compact Discs (CDs) were the primary audio format in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but have since been replaced by digital streaming services. Rather than letting these obsolete discs gather dust, innovative creator Aaed Musa has transformed them into ammunition for an impressive wearable device a wrist mounted CD launcher capable of firing discs at fruits and vegetables at speeds of up to 33 mph! This presentation walks you through Musa’s creative journey from concept to completion, showcasing how everyday obsolete items can be repurposed into extraordinary inventions.
The Rise and Fall of CDs
Once the king of audio formats, CDs dominated the music industry throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. These shiny discs replaced cassette tapes and revolutionized how we consumed music with their improved sound quality and durability. However, with the advent of digital streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, CDs quickly became obsolete. Today, millions of these discs sit unused in homes around the world, prompting creative minds to find alternative uses for them beyond their original purpose.
Inspiration from Gaming
Aaed Musa wasn’t the first person to repurpose CDs as projectiles. His creation was inspired by the “Discos Locos” weapon featured in the popular video game Far Cry 6, as well as a real-life version created by the YouTube channel Hacksmith. While these predecessors used gun-like designs, Musa took a different approach by creating a wearable device mounted on the wrist. This unique spin allows the user to launch CDs with a simple flick of the arm, almost like a superhero deploying their signature weapon.
The Heart of the Launcher: The Flywheel System
At the core of Musa’s wrist-mounted CD launcher is a carefully designed flywheel system. The flywheel acts as the “heart” of the device, spinning at incredibly high speeds to propel the CDs forward. When a disc slides onto the rapidly rotating flywheel, it’s instantly grabbed and launched with tremendous force. This elegant mechanical solution transforms rotational energy into forward momentum, allowing the CDs to fly through the air with surprising speed and accuracy.
Powering the Beast
To achieve the impressive launch speeds, Musa equipped his device with a motor capable of spinning up to 40,000 RPM (revolutions per minute). This high-performance motor provides the necessary power to launch CDs at velocities that can slice through fruits and vegetables. But Musa didn’t stop there – seeking even greater performance, he added a second flywheel to the system. This dual-flywheel design increased the ejection speed to an impressive 33 mph, making the launcher surprisingly powerful for its compact size.
Engineering for Accuracy
Launching a CD at high speeds is one thing, but ensuring it flies accurately to hit its target is another challenge entirely. Musa tackled this by carefully angling the flywheels to impart a spin to each CD as it’s launched. This spin creates gyroscopic stability – the same physical principle that keeps a frisbee flying level. The result is impressive accuracy, allowing the user to reliably hit targets from a distance rather than just firing discs in random directions.
Rapid-Fire Capability
This isn’t a one-and-done device. Musa’s launcher is capable of firing an impressive 5 discs per second, creating a veritable barrage of flying CDs. This rapid-fire capability transforms the launcher from a novelty into a surprisingly effective device for its intended purpose – slicing through fruits and vegetables in dramatic fashion. The feeding mechanism that enables this high rate of fire required careful design to avoid jams while maintaining consistent launch velocity.
From Plastic to Metal: The Evolution of the Mount
The launcher’s mounting system underwent significant evolution during the development process. Initially, Musa 3D printed the mount from plastic materials, which provided a functional but aesthetically underwhelming result. Recognizing that the plastic design didn’t match the impressive capabilities of his creation, he upgraded to a CNC-machined metal version for the final product. This metal construction not only looks more impressive but also provides better durability and stability during operation.
The Veggie Vanquisher
While the CD launcher might not have many practical applications, it excels at its intended purpose – dramatically slicing through fruits and vegetables. In demonstration videos, the launcher proves capable of cleanly cutting through various produce items, making for entertaining slow-motion footage. Musa wisely limits his targets to inanimate objects, ensuring that his powerful creation is used responsibly. The device serves as both an impressive engineering showcase and a reminder of how obsolete technology can find new, if unconventional, purposes.
Aaed Musa’s wrist-mounted CD launcher represents the perfect intersection of engineering skill, creative repurposing, and pure fun. By transforming obsolete media into ammunition for a unique device, he demonstrates how innovation can breathe new life into items we might otherwise discard. This idea echoes the trend of using everyday objects that have become obsolete, for other uses.
