Real-life superheroes rarely have the technology shown in movies, but they are not without perseverance and guts.
A South African YouTuber named JT, who operates the channel “Built IRL,” managed to design and build web-shooters that almost allowed him to swing like Spider-Man in real life using only those two values and some astounding engineering.
This is how he accomplished it.
The grapple gun from Batman has also been successfully reproduced by a YouTuber
JT has previously rebuilt Batman’s grapple gun. He also tried the Spider-Man swinging notion during an internship but had to leave it owing to time constraints.
Now he’s decided to use it as his university thesis project (imagine having to defend that thesis!).
Fortunately, the institution accepted his proposed topic of “exploring the feasibility of Spider-Man swinging as a novel mode of transportation.”
Web shooters powered by propane-fired a ‘hook chain’ from one end.
JT built the web shooter out of a steel tube that was modified to store pressurised propane on one side and a modular polycarbonate tube that housed the web on the other.
The web, on the other hand, isn’t precisely a web. It consists of a series of steel hooks attached to a strong string that locks on itself when looped around items. JT refers to this as the “hook chain.”
JT could swing from the steel shell, which had a handle attached
A short fuse, activated by a little button, sets off a custom-made spark plug, which ignites the compressed propane. The polycarbonate cartridge with the hook chain is then fired from the opposite end of the tube.
The steel casing had a fabric handle connected to it, which allowed JT to swing once the hook chain had wrapped itself around anything.
JT also created a recharging mechanism, which he tested at a trampoline park
To save time, the ingenious YouTuber also created a propane and air recharging mechanism for the web-shooters. He rapidly realised that employing these web-shooters was not for the faint of heart.
So he spent weeks practising swinging at an indoor trampoline park to ensure a smooth landing if everything went wrong.
This also gave him the opportunity to fine-tune the design.
The project proves that everything is achievable with wit and tenacity
JT was able to complete two and a half swings and land on his feet after practise, validating the point he set out to research with his thesis.
While the project has flaws and plenty of potential for development, the young man’s determination to persevere in the face of setbacks and create something genuinely unique is admirable.