A toy gun which accepts small, helium-filled bullet-shaped Mylar balloons, spins them for stability (like rifling) and "shoots" them with a puff of air so they travel at walking speed.

The bullets would need to be only slightly negatively buoyant (so they don't float away). Not recommended for self defense or use in windy conditions.

(Background: Just bought a flying saucer-shaped balloon for the kids. Aside from looking like a flying saucer, the neatest thing about it is that it is nearly neutrally buoyant. Tossing the balloon around like a Frisbee inspired this idea)
-- phoenix, Jul 14 2003

Shoot smoke rings http://www.thinkgee...egoodies/toys/5b4a/
Not the same thing at all, but way cool. [DrCurry, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Scene in question http://abstract.cs....r/ascii-matrix.html
In ASCII. [bristolz, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Vortex info http://www.amasci.com/wing/smring.html
How does a vortex work? [dweeb, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Bubble Gun http://www.backyardartillery.com/bubbles/
Another real world product. [DrCurry, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Matrix Ping Pong http://www.ntv.co.j...el/kasoh/kin10.html
It's a movie thingy. [waugsqueke, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

working repost of [bris]'s earlier link http://www.justbewise.net/matrix.html
the ASCII matrix [bleh, Sep 29 2007]

bang! got ya.
-- po, Jul 14 2003


The bullet could be carried on a ring vortex (what a smoke ring is).
-- venomx, Jul 14 2003


[po], don't you mean, "B a a a n n n n g a h!" <g>

[phoenix], the "let's pretend" factor is way cool! +
-- Tiger Lily, Jul 14 2003


[venomx] I actually tried to figure out how I could simulate the distortion from the moving bullet and all I came up with was a trailing streamer. I like your idea better.
-- phoenix, Jul 14 2003


really busy - no time for slow bangs.
-- po, Jul 14 2003


Way to go girl... you hussy! <g>
-- Tiger Lily, Jul 14 2003


“Faster than a speeding bullet” +
-- Shz, Jul 14 2003


I see phoenix's frisbee evolving as a toy hullaballoon.

Now you need a method so that when you hold up your hand, they drop out of the sky.
-- RayfordSteele, Jul 14 2003


Add some Agent Smith clown strips.
-- FarmerJohn, Jul 14 2003


We'll need guns.
Lots of guns. +
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jul 14 2003


Gee, I hate to burst your balloon but the angular momentum of a small helium-filled balloon that is light enough to float is approximately nothing. This means that once out of the nozzle, it will wobble, stop spinning, and do nothing almost immediately. A larger balloon spins better due to the increased mass made possible by the larger volume of displaced air.

The only hope for this idea is to somehow couple the vortex effect (in the smoke-ring link) with an object. I can imagine that this would be possible but very difficult. The speed and air resistance of the object would have to be tightly coupled to a vortex that is changing size and rotational speed as it moves through the air. I've added another link to show how the vortex works.
-- dweeb, Jul 14 2003


Love the irony in bris's link. The Matrix--matrixified.
-- RayfordSteele, Jul 14 2003


(+) as long as they come with a coupon to redeem when buying the wires to hang Keanu style dodging bullets.
-- silverstormer, Jul 14 2003


[po] ow - you got me.
-- Worldgineer, Jul 14 2003


good lord this is fun. it went straight through phoenix and hits you six.. <checks clock>.. hours later.
-- po, Jul 14 2003


You may want to work a bit on the prototype. Seems too fast, considering the different continents. Good aim though.
-- Worldgineer, Jul 14 2003


"good lord this is fun. it went straight through phoenix and hits you six.. <checks clock>.. hours later."
No, I dodged it.
-- phoenix, Jul 14 2003


for someone so big, you move really fast <g>
-- po, Jul 14 2003


One solution for [dweeb]'s issue could be to use a nanotube spokes wheel inside each helium filled bullet.

Oh, skip the spokes wheel and go for a boomerang structure. Now you can get really surreal!
-- Tiger Lily, Jul 14 2003


This has WTCTTISITMWIBNIIWR written all over it. Considering that I haven't seen WTCTTISITMWIBNIIWR ideas in a while, this seems incredible by comparison. (+)
-- Shadow Phoenix, Sep 29 2007


I love this idea. However...I don't think you can make helium balloons that small with near-neutral bouyancy. If the "bullet's" volume were, say, 10 cubic cm's, you've got a lifting capacity of 12mg. I'm not sure if you could make a mylar (or other) skin of that weight which was tolerably robust. But I may be wrong.

Incidentally, much the same visual effect could be achieved by using a machine gun and a slightly-out-of- synch strobe light. Catching the bullets would be harder, however.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Sep 29 2007


If the bullets were over-inflated in the gun and could release a fine jet from the rear they would maintain speed on their way to the target, then fall out of the sky after a few metres.

Another falling out of the air method would be to rub the bullet along the inside of a felt barrel as it is fired, statically charging the round. The Neo character would then be able to deflect the bullets by being charged, maybe by a small battery pack and glove.
-- marklar, Sep 30 2007


//This has WTCTTISITMWIBNIIWR written all over it.//
//However...I don't think you can make helium balloons that small with near-neutral bouyancy.//
Easy solution: combine “The Matrix” with “Village of the Giants.”
-- ldischler, Sep 30 2007



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