The device, built at the High-Speed Experimental Laboratory (Hi-SEAL), can fire small projectiles at speeds of up to 0.8 km per second, close to the speed of sound. The system was developed under the guidance of assistant professor S. K. Karthick.

Unlike conventional light gas guns that require expensive infrastructure, the team used commercially available PVC pipes, commonly found in buildings, to construct the 10-metre-long barrel. The entire setup cost around ₹50,000.

Applications range from vehicles to defence materials

High-speed impact studies are used in designing vehicles that absorb crash forces, buildings that withstand shocks, and protective gear such as helmets and defence equipment. These experiments also help engineers understand how materials fail under sudden stress, improving safety in transport, construction and consumer products.

"A light gas gun helps us recreate high-speed impacts in a controlled way," Karthick said. "This is useful to understand how materials fail, how shock waves behave, and how structures respond under extreme conditions."

Students overcome challenges in speed measurement and safety

The project involved students G. Sri Datta Krishna, Y. V. Karthik, M. N. Marzouq, T. Harshada and M. Raj Kiran Reddy, along with several undergraduate contributors.

The team addressed technical challenges during development. Measuring projectile speed was difficult due to velocities exceeding the speed of sound. "So the students built a low-cost system using sensors to calculate velocity accurately," Karthick said.

Stopping the projectile safely was another challenge. The team designed a sand-filled box to absorb the impact. "Sometimes the simplest ideas worked best," he added.

After initial difficulties in achieving higher speeds, the team eventually crossed the sound barrier. Researchers are now exploring ways to scale up the system for advanced studies and potential collaborations with defence laboratories.