“With enough stupidity you can get any car to roll over” (MSN AUTO)
What stuntmen and women need is maths!
Maths is essential to the process, from calculating speeds and braking distances to looking at the ratio of the amount of film shot to the length of time of the end sequence. The stunt and crash is outlined, and the co-ordinator explains how he must calculate speeds and stopping distances carefully.
So you want to be a stuntman?
First think of the pain.
Mark Eiden, 52, a professional stuntman (pictured) who is not only afraid of heights, but was once told he likely wouldn’t walk again. Eiden’s had surgery on both arms and shoulders, five knee surgeries, six nasal reconstructions, foot and hand surgery and a facial cast. He fell off the top of a stunt car at 40 mph when the tyre blew. He gaffer taped his ear and continued, despite severe concussion. Northern Express Michigan
If you still want to be a stuntman do the Maths:
Rolling a Car:
You can use quick handbrake turn, speed around a corner, fishtail into the curb or some other lunatic thing. The most controlled way to roll a car is to use a ramp.
These ramps often have a kicker at the end to add extra lift. Ramp calculations can be complicated, but the simplest way to look at the maths is to determine the angle a car will roll ie. When the Centre of Gravity moves over the base.
Centre of Gravity vs Base Width
The distance between the front wheels in cars is often called the track width.
So the Lamobgini Diablo is very hard to roll (build a higher ramp) and it therefore beats the SUV for stability every time.
Balancing on 2 Wheels
A more skilled stunt involves driving a car on two wheels. A very skilled stunt driver can lift the car onto wheels by snaking the car back and forth across the road until it balances on 2 wheels.
From the Centre of Gravity vs Base angles above you can see that the SUV is the easiest car to balance of 2 wheels.
But there is nothing quite as crazy as this SUV stunt:
The main concern when jumping out off a building is that the airbag (cardboard boxes) cover the drop zone.
The maths calculations involved in jumping off a building are straightforward. You might like to check out How Maths Solved a real murder.
Jump Height that Kills
It doesn’t take much of a fall to cause damage. Sean Hughes, professor of surgery at Imperial College, London. Says “From a height of 3m you could fracture your spine,” he says. “At around 10m, you’re looking at very serious injuries.” (The Guardian, 20 MAY 2014)
Stunt Jump from building from standing start
As this jump – as in most base jumps – involves a standing start:
It’s caused by too much nitrogen dissolving in the blood under pressure.
At 50 m (165 ft) Slowed response. Laughter.
AT 66 m (217 ft) oxygen toxicity kicks in.
At 70 m (230 ft) Flawed judgment. Hallucinations.
At 90 m stupefaction.
But if you surface too quickly the nitrogen bubbles out in your blood and gives you the bends so called because it is soooo painful.
Ahhhhhh!
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Introducing the Crabster CR 200
According to Gizmodo, one problem with conventional ROVs – Remotely Controlled Vehicles – is their propellers kick up silt from the sea floor, and their engines struggle in strong currents. But this new underwater explorer sidesteps both of these problems by skittering around the sea floor like a crab.
CRABSTER CR 200, developed by a team at the Korean Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), can survey shipwrecks and collect data for research. It has 4 pilots. One for the walking and posture. One for the manipulators, cameras and lights. One for the sonar and other scanning equipment. One navigator. This is some creepy crab.
In fact more Americans die choking on their own vomit each year than a re killed by bears.
