As the final project for my Mechanical Systems class, we had to design a shock absorber that would minimize the impact force of a 10lb weight dropped from 2 meters, as well as model the system as springs and dampers to predict the maximum force during the impact.
In order to achieve the lowest maximum force, we focused on giving the system as much displacement as possible. Our shock absorber was able to collapse from a height of 100 cm to 10 cm on impact, more displacement than any other team. Our group also had the lowest percent error in our prediction of maximum acceleration.