AR Fire Extinguisher Training Props

Catapult's prototype worked, but only on one specific extinguisher. Our brief was to make it repeatable, so the same mounts and sensor placement could fit a range of extinguisher models without a redesign each time. That constraint set the direction for everything after it.

We rebuilt the full assembly in CAD, mapping where the sensors and mounts sat across the different extinguisher bodies, nozzles, and handles we had to support. Working from a shared model kept Catapult, the students, and the print queue aligned on one source of truth as the design converged on a standard, production-ready set of parts.

The constraint that carried across every model was simple to say and fiddly to do. Fit the AR tracking sensors and wiring onto a working extinguisher while leaving the original trigger and safety pin fully functional. A trainee should pull the pin and squeeze the handle exactly as they would on a live unit, and the system should register that action at the same moment.

Printed mounts positioned the sensors on the body and nozzle, and the wiring was routed to stay clear of the grip. Because the mechanics were untouched, the prop kept the resistance and travel of a real trigger, which is the detail that sells the whole experience in the headset.

The mounts and nozzles were 3D printed in carbon fiber reinforced filament, chosen so the parts could take the handling and impact of live training without flexing or cracking around the sensors.

We compared the cost of machining the parts against printing them. Machining only pays off at higher volumes, so until Catapult reaches the unit numbers where that tooling makes sense, 3D printing is the cheaper and faster route and the one to keep going with.

Because Catapult travels to run the training, we advised bringing a 3D printer along so a part that breaks on site can be reprinted on the spot rather than waiting for a replacement to be produced and shipped.