Pulley system
AssessTechniques
A mechanical system of wheels and rope used here to change force and rotational speed.
Why it's here
Placed in Assess: 1 article(s) of evidence from 1 source(s), led by research-stage coverage, with 1 in the last 30 days. Confidence 24%. Low accumulated evidence, so it defaults conservatively pending more signal.
Evidence (1)
- 7Hacker News·8/9/2026researchGravity-powered trebuchet breaks the sound barrier
Tom Stanton built a gravity-powered trebuchet that reportedly launched a 4-gram projectile at supersonic speed, becoming the first such machine to cross the sound barrier using only gravity. The design used a pulley ratio, a lightweight carbon-fiber arm, and iterative stress testing to increase rotational speed and efficiency before the final successful run.