Aerobie
Encyclopedia
Drag (physics)
In fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces which act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity...
and good stability, it can be thrown much farther than a flying disc. The ring is only about 1/8 of an inch (3 mm) thick. The Aerobie was used to set two former world records for thrown objects.
Designed in 1984 by Stanford engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
lecturer Alan Adler
Alan Adler
Alan Adler is an American inventor. His inventions include aerodynamic toys, such as footballs with fins and flying rings and discs. His Aerobie Pro flying ring set several world records for the farthest thrown object. In 2005 he invented a coffee brewing device and method called the AeroPress.He...
, the Aerobie has a polycarbonate
Polycarbonate
PolycarbonatePhysical PropertiesDensity 1.20–1.22 g/cm3Abbe number 34.0Refractive index 1.584–1.586FlammabilityV0-V2Limiting oxygen index25–27%Water absorption – Equilibrium0.16–0.35%Water absorption – over 24 hours0.1%...
core with soft rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
bumpers molded onto the inner and outer rims. The outer rim has a spoiler designed to impart stability.
"Aerobie" also refers to other products made by Aerobie, Inc.
History
In the 1970s, Alan AdlerAlan Adler
Alan Adler is an American inventor. His inventions include aerodynamic toys, such as footballs with fins and flying rings and discs. His Aerobie Pro flying ring set several world records for the farthest thrown object. In 2005 he invented a coffee brewing device and method called the AeroPress.He...
began attempting to improve the flying disc, considering its design characteristics
Physics of flying discs
A flying disc can fly through the air because of the combination of the lift and drag forces it generates when it hits the oncoming air flow.The trajectory of a disk is affected by its shape, mass, spin, attitude, deformation etc....
. He tried streamlining the shape to reduce drag, but this resulted in a disc that was more unstable in flight. Eventually, he turned his attention to the ring shape. This led to the development of the predecessor of the Aerobie, which was called the "Skyro." About a million of this model were sold. In 1980, it was used to set a Guiness World Record throw of 261 meters. It lacked the spoiler rim of the Aerobie. It had low drag, but was only stable at a certain speed. The later introduction of the spoiler, which balanced the lift
Lift (force)
A fluid flowing past the surface of a body exerts a surface force on it. Lift is the component of this force that is perpendicular to the oncoming flow direction. It contrasts with the drag force, which is the component of the surface force parallel to the flow direction...
, made the ring stable "over a wide range of speeds." After testing several models, the ideal shape was found, and the Aerobie was produced. Adler founded Superflight, Inc. in 1984 (now known as Aerobie, Inc.) Since then, Adler and the company have produced 12 other sport toy products.
Characteristics
The Aerobie allows for throws over unusually long distances. It flies faster and farther than a common flying discFrisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
. When well tuned, it can fly in a straight line, "like a puck on an invisible sheet of ice." It does not have the tendency to roll when thrown level, as a flying disc does. But similarly to a disc, an Aerobie can be thrown in a curved path by throwing it in a slant. Its lift depends on its speed relative to the air. Therefore, throwing into the wind makes it fly higher. Throwing with the wind makes it fly lower.
Advantages
The Aerobie's ring shape allows it to be caught in a variety of different ways. For example, it can be caught by thrusting a forearm, the head (when the ring is thrown high), or even a foot through the middle. Games such as "Aerosticks" and Aerogoal are designed specifically for the Aerobie.Disadvantages, special care
An Aerobie ring does not float. The ring can be damaged if abused. A thrower must take care not to throw too hard when throwing to a partner. However, it will slow down if thrown at a high angle. It can be easier to lose than a flying disc, especially over long distances. In particular, it gets caught on tree branches more easily.The Aerobie is best thrown in a wide open area such as a football or soccer field, away from bodies of water, with adequate light.
World records
The 13 inch (33 cm) Aerobie Pro was used to set the Guinness World RecordGuinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
two times for the "longest throw of an object without any velocity-aiding
Thrust
Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's second and third laws. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction the accelerated mass will cause a force of equal magnitude but opposite direction on that system....
feature". The Aerobie's first Guinness World Record was set by Scott Zimmerman at 1,257 feet (383.1 meters) in 1986 at Fort Funston
Fort Funston
Fort Funston is a protected area within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at the southwestern corner of San Francisco. It occupies windswept headlands along the Pacific coast, steep cliffs and the beach below...
, San Francisco. The 1986 record was broken by Erin Hemmings with a throw of 1,333 feet (406.3 meters) on July 14, 2003 at Fort Funston. Hemmings' Aerobie was airborne for 30 seconds (not an official measurement) and was the first thrown object to break the quarter-mile barrier (or 1,320 feet).
Previous to the 1986 record, the Aerobie held the world record at 1,046 feet, 11 inches. It does not appear that this was recorded by Guinness. On June 7, 1988, the Aerobie became the first object to be thrown across Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
with a throw by Scott Zimmerman. In April 1987, Zimmerman threw a silver dollar
Silver dollar
Silver dollar may refer to:* A Dollar coin made of any white metal, especially one made of silver.* A Canadian silver dollar commemorative coin.* Silver trade dollars issued by a number of countries...
taped to an Aerobie across the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
.
Since the introduction of the Aerobie, Superflight has offered reward money for various landmark throws. While details of the earlier rewards are unclear, the current reward is $1,000 to anyone who sets the Guinness World Distance Record.
A "Maximum Time Aloft" (MTA) boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
was carried on the winds a distance of 1,401.5 feet (427.2 meters). It was thrown by David Schummy on March 15, 2005 at Murrarie Recreation Ground, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The boomerang was not propelled that distance by the velocity of the throw; rather, it was carried by the winds.
Devin Damron and Nick Conner hold the record for the longest aerobie throw at 2346.9 feet in 2011. The guiness book of world records currently has a picture of them next to an aerobie.
Other Aerobie products
- Aerobie Orbiter: a triangular boomerangBoomerangA boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
- Disc golfDisc golfDisc golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc." Of the more than 3000...
discs - Aerobie Sprint ring and Aerobie Superdisc (smaller models)
- Superdisc Ultra (larger model)
- Skylighter (lighted Superdisc Ultra)
- Dogobie disc; designed for dogs to catch
- Aerobie and Rocket footballs, with fins
- AeroSpin Yo-yo
- Squidgie Disc and Squidgie Ball: flexible toys that float
- AeroPressAeropressThe AeroPress is a device for brewing coffee. It was invented in 2005 by Alan Adler. Coffee is steeped for about 10 seconds and then forced through a paper microfilter. The maker describes the result as an espresso strength concentration of coffee....
coffee maker - Megatop Spinning Top
Devin Damron currently holds the Guinness book of world records for the aerobie at 2045.7 feet
External links
- Official website
- "Flight of the Frisbee", New Scientist by Alan Adler, filed May 10, 1984, issued December 24, 1985.
- Aerosticks Game
- Youtube Video Video of Aerobie products in action, including throwing one of the rings out of the Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, and the demonstration of the Aerobie Orbiter