This years student training in problem based learning, required the students in groups to design a bungee to give as big a thrill as possible to a large melon without killing it.

The requirements were for the melon to be dropped from a 3.5m balcony to as near to the ground as possible and to rebound to as high a level as possible at rest. The groups used a wide variety of bungee designs varying from elastic bands and surgical stockings to knicker elastic. The best group managed to get the bungee to miss the ground by just 10cm and to rebound to a height of about 1.6m from the ground.

Several melons died in the testing stage.