Many of the FRC games have involved launching a projectile into a scoring goal. Examples of this are the games for 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2022. Most of these games mentioned have used two primary designs for shooters, catapults and hooded shooters.
Hooded Shooter
A hooded shooter is exactly what it sounds like, a shooter mechanism with a hood. There is a motor powering wheels that launch the ball as it is pressed against the back of the angled hood. There is usually a transition mechanism that sends the ball up to the shooter. There are multiple ways to customize this as well. By adjusting the rpm, hood angle, and position, you can land extremely precise shots. A few setbacks of this design however, is that it needs to be manufactured precisely and designed on the computer to perfection. This is a super common way to launch projectiles. Here are some examples:
Catapult
A catapult is a mechanism that launches a ball. There is a pad on a motor and it rapidly flicks up and launches the ball into whatever goal. To increase the initial velocity of the launch, you can add constant force springs. This makes it easy to launch a variety of game elements.
Using the speed and angle of the launch , you can have control over the accuracy of the ball. Here are a few successful iterations of the catapult:
