Built IRL, a YouTube channel run by an engineer showcased a real-life web shooter similar to what we see Spider-Man use in comic books and movies. The engineer had previously made a working Batman grappling gun and now it seems like he wants to focus on our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. 

© Sony Pictures

While they don’t work as perfectly as the ones we see in the movies, it is still impressive to see what JT has achieved. Previous iterations of a web-shooter included a backpack air compressor, wrist-worn launchers and high-strength cable. Now, the latest version of the hardware has a far more elegant solution. JT created a metal tube that is powered by compressed propane and a custom igniter. This would launch a long cable that has metal hooks embedded in them. When fired, the metal cable can wrap around an object and secure itself, effectively making it usable to swing as Spider-Man does with his web-slinger.

© Youtube_BuiltIRL

Since this version of the web-shooter works with propane and mild explosives, the canister has to be refilled with each use. In order to swing without any interruptions, he built seven launchers in total that he can attach to a belt. He can switch between each launcher when swinging and showed how it works in an indoor trampoline facility. He managed to complete two-and-a-half swings before landing on his feet. While it may not look as cohesive as Spider-Man’s web-shooter, it still is a working device that can be used in real life. 

While we may be used to watching a CGI Spider-Man swing around New York with precision and impressive stunts, in real life it looks a lot harder. However, Built IRL proves that nothing is impossible as JT has developed something literally out of fiction and made it work with different iterations. Unlike Spider-Man though, he did practice in the indoor trampoline facility for a week to get two-and-a-half swings right. We highly recommend checking out the above video to know the full story behind the web-shooter project. JT explains how the project began, how he got funding for it and uses references from multiple Spider-Man movies to get the movements right. 

View the full article