The dead blow hammer is a useful tool. It delivers force without elastic rebound meaning that peak force is limited and the length of the impulse is expanded. This is useful for preventing damage to surfaces by delivering force in a long slow pulse.
The cat, when dropped, doesn't bounce. They just sort of plop down and then wander off. This is because they use sensor fusion* accelerometry, optical rangefinding etc. combined with learning neural net processing and active feedback from the 4 force actuators situated at the corners. While falling, the cat calibrates the 4 actuators to decelerate the massive upper portion within 4-6 inches or so. This is quite clever, certainly more sophisticated than the usual sand/lead shot system. This could actually be useful in industry.
Instead of a 15lb dead blow hammer, we take a cat of similar weight. Using an adapter, the cat is attached to a striking face. Now, when accelerated toward the target surface, the cat would self-calibrate and deliver the force over a distance governed by leg length. More force? More Cats. Longer impulse? Taller cat. Simple. For larger industrial applications like foundation pile driving, a pride of lions could be employed.
* Come on Lockheed, sensor fusion... I think I had a camcorder that did that.-- bs0u0155, Nov 20 2018 Dead Blow Hammer https://en.wikipedi...ki/Dead_blow_hammer [bs0u0155, Nov 20 2018] Appocalypse meow. https://www.wired.c...-rise-fall-physics/ [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 21 2018] Team cat vs. team bird... https://www.npr.org...rs-in-d-c-cat-countCat counts for science [RayfordSteele, Nov 21 2018] I dunno, has anyone tested the Rockwell hardness of a cat's skull?-- RayfordSteele, Nov 20 2018 //The cat, when dropped, doesn't bounce.//
It is widely recognised that even dead, cats bounce - a little.-- Loris, Nov 21 2018 Huh... I'd read that cat's could only survive an eight story fall but it turns out that's totally wrong. Their odds of survival get better from even higher falls. [link]-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 21 2018 Borg bait-- not_morrison_rm, Nov 21 2018 ah, crap I clicked on it.-- FlyingToaster, Nov 21 2018 ^I'll wipe off with meths...
Shocking news from Germany "German police armed with submachine guns were deployed to a Kylie Minogue concert"
Surely, she's not that bad?-- not_morrison_rm, Nov 21 2018 // take a cat of similar weight. //
That's one pudgy feline ...
// Using an adapter, the cat is attached to a striking face. //
Block of pine, plus staple gun ...
// when accelerated toward the target surface, //
Using a 380mm BL naval rifle ?
// has anyone tested the Rockwell hardness of a cat's skull? //
A live cat, or a dead cat ? Using one of those sharp pointy gadgets with the screw-clamp, like precision thumbscrews, with the dial gauge ?
The data might possibly be available, if you ask nicely, it's unattributable, you don't ask any questions about how it was obtained, you have the ethics of a plague bacillus, and you're not part of any scummy cat's rights animal protection mob.
// It is widely recognised that even dead, cats bounce - a little. //
It depends very much on the height from which they are dropped, and the impact surface. Above 500 m, cats impacting a hard surface such as concrete tend to splatter, having attained terminal velocity. On soft surfaces such as turf, they become partially embedded, and don't bounce.-- 8th of 7, Nov 21 2018 I'm on team bird. <link>
I find that the Rockwell test frequently catches the creatures in a transitional state between living and dead, and so the data forms a nice average.-- RayfordSteele, Nov 21 2018 //Above 500 m, cats impacting a hard surface such as concrete tend to splatter, having attained terminal velocity. //
A cat will reach terminal velocity in something like 150-250m of freefall. Terminal velocity will be on the order of 55- 60mph, which does not typically result in splatter.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 21 2018 Perhaps [8th] could rework the idea to achieve optimal splatter, or would that be a completely different idea?-- whatrock, Nov 21 2018 random, halfbakery