Need ideas for a "techy" grand opening.
August 31, 2010 7:22 AM Subscribe
My university is about to open a brand new engineering and technology building. I need ideas for a cool "high tech" ribbon-cutting ceremony.
What kind of engineering? Anyway, some ideas:
a robot ribbon cutter (bonus points for sending the 'cut ribbon' command over the internet with a mobile device)
cutting the ribbon was a high powered laser (NB: only if you can give protective eyewear to everyone and take other suitable precautions)
plasma torch
posted by jedicus at 7:28 AM on August 31, 2010
a robot ribbon cutter (bonus points for sending the 'cut ribbon' command over the internet with a mobile device)
cutting the ribbon was a high powered laser (NB: only if you can give protective eyewear to everyone and take other suitable precautions)
plasma torch
posted by jedicus at 7:28 AM on August 31, 2010
I'm a big fan of robots, but a Rube Goldberg device to finally slice the ribbon with a knife or scissors could be awesome. (Also requires lots of setup and dry runs)
posted by olinerd at 7:33 AM on August 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by olinerd at 7:33 AM on August 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
And if you just want something visually impressive and fun, then you could build the 'ribbon' out of magician's flash paper. Might be a little hard to find a source for continuous sheets of the stuff for a ribbon, though.
posted by jedicus at 7:36 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by jedicus at 7:36 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Go old school -- use a jacob's ladder to cut the ribbon. Have an extinguisher ready, though.
posted by nathan_teske at 7:56 AM on August 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by nathan_teske at 7:56 AM on August 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
Spray the ribbon with liquid nitrogen, then break it by hitting it with a pocket calculator.
posted by Iosephus at 8:44 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Iosephus at 8:44 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Spray the ribbon with liquid nitrogen, then break it by hitting it with a pocket calculator slide rule.
posted by Jahaza at 8:55 AM on August 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Jahaza at 8:55 AM on August 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
I was going to pop in and say flash paper (stitch multiple sheets together, overlapping them _-_ style for strength), but I see that's been taken.
Therefore, I now say this instead: destroy the ribbon with the exhaust from a jet engine. Maybe a pulse-jet.
Surely there's one lying about somewhere.
Or do not use a ribbon at all, but bridge the gap with an emitter and photodetector. First person to break the beam causes something to happen (eg: automated balloon release, confetti cannon, spray cobalt-60 over the audience, release robotic fleshhounds, whatever).
note: do not use cobalt-60 or fleshhounds
posted by aramaic at 9:13 AM on August 31, 2010
Therefore, I now say this instead: destroy the ribbon with the exhaust from a jet engine. Maybe a pulse-jet.
Surely there's one lying about somewhere.
Or do not use a ribbon at all, but bridge the gap with an emitter and photodetector. First person to break the beam causes something to happen (eg: automated balloon release, confetti cannon, spray cobalt-60 over the audience, release robotic fleshhounds, whatever).
note: do not use cobalt-60 or fleshhounds
posted by aramaic at 9:13 AM on August 31, 2010
Cutting the Ribbon Cable (with wirecutters, of course!)
posted by fings at 9:48 AM on August 31, 2010
posted by fings at 9:48 AM on August 31, 2010
Robots and lasers.
Look, if I go see a Bruce Springsteen concert, I'm not leaving until he plays Born to Run. I expect it. I demand it.
By the same token, if you do something else that's high-tech, everyone will be asking why you couldn't work robots and lasers into your idea.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:56 AM on August 31, 2010
Look, if I go see a Bruce Springsteen concert, I'm not leaving until he plays Born to Run. I expect it. I demand it.
By the same token, if you do something else that's high-tech, everyone will be asking why you couldn't work robots and lasers into your idea.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:56 AM on August 31, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Seriously, can you get a robot to cut the ribbon, preferably with a laser?
posted by anti social order at 7:25 AM on August 31, 2010 [4 favorites]