Truss Me

A buddy I shall call Dr K tipped NSB about an iOS and Android app called "Truss Me" in which you are challenged to build support structures for increasingly difficult combinations of weights and base fixing points. It's a great combination of game and educational experience, and really provides a feel for what kind of structures work....and which ones don't!

The game award a rating of 1-3 "bolts" to your design, depending on how lightweight it is. The app also helpfully shows which beams are in tension and which are in compression, which is helpful to know as beams in compression tend to buckle if made too thin. - NSB is working through the game with the aim of getting 3 bolts at each stage! [Update 25th March - now completed all 24 levels, 3 bolts all the way!]

You can read more about Truss Me on the developers page at http://www.scientificmonkey.com/software.html.

BFTF's scores are shown below - can you beat them by designing a lighter structure?

3-Bolt-Tastic! 

Challenge 1 : 799 points, 3.1kg
Challenge 2 : 249 points, 10.0kg

Challenge 3 : 283 points, 8.8kg

Challenge 4 : 268 points, 9.3kg
Challenge 5 : 94 points, 26.6kg

Challenge 6 : 87 points, 28.7kg

Challenge 7 : 278 points, 27.0kg
Challenge 8 : 98 points, 25.4kg

Challenge 9 : 211 points, 35.6kg

Challenge 10 : 74 points, 33.9kg
Challenge 11 : 214 points, 23.4kg

Challenge 12 : 54 points, 46.2kg

Challenge 13 : 230 points, 43.5kg
Challenge 14 : 88 points, 28.3kg
Challenge 15 : 63 points, 79.4kg
Challenge 16 : 177 points, 42.4kg
Challenge 17 : 111 points, 22.6kg
Challenge 18 : 98 points, 76.6kg
Challenge 19 : 349 points, 28.7kg
Challenge 20 : 245 points, 61.2kg
Challenge 21 : 874 points, 11.4kg
Challenge 22 : 320 points, 46.8kg
Challenge 23 : 201 points, 87.3kg

Challenge 24 : 306points, 24.5kg