Jhula principle - increase speed by applying brakes.

[bitRAKE]

They could use this to move the shuttle to the launch pad. (c: Looks like a jerky ride - things might shake apart?

[xnonix]

Hey Prajna and Co.

I have reworked the latch system coz I didn't trust the motors approach.

Now the system is motor free. You can observe by yourserlve how the latching is made (now is real latching). Is all less complex and now the system obey physics laws, so it STOPS. 

There is a glitch in the program in error metrics management that made the motors give little impulses that we cannot appreciate in the movement.

Here you are the wm2d file to test it.

Sorry to all for the bad news,
xnonix

[Dingus Mungus]

Well let me just start by saying "beautiful simulation"!
I went and uglied it up, but the good news is it works.
I removed the pendulum lock and added leftward leverage.
It's still not 100% efficient but its pretty damn close...
Once again the spring is acting like a flywheel storing energy...
So once you add a load its going to stop fairly quickly.

It would make a hell of a conversation piece though!
(I want one for my desk at work)

~Dingus Mungus

[prajna]

Cool.  Could you post the sim, Dingus?

[Dingus Mungus]

I already know I'm going to lose a week to replicating
this sim starting from a dead stop... I think its possible.
Just need to beef up the spring and ballance the arm.

~Dingus Mungus