Functional Mug Sucks
Functional mug sucks are the use of a mug suck to accomplish a practical task. These have a lighter, more playful feel than heavy mug sucks or contemplative mug sucks. Still, they present the most technical challenges of any modality given the complex movement patterns underlying them.
Opening the Fridge
The main technical challenge is establishing sufficient suction beforehand to maintain mug contact during the rapid increase in force when you start pulling the door open. It’s an inverted U shaped force curve – opening the door takes a spike in pulling force, but once it’s opened, little force is required to continue opening it. This ‘whiplash’ is hard to get used to if your primary experience is heavy mug sucks. For efficiency reasons, you should practice maintaining the minimal suction necessary to accomplish your objective. This means modulating suction throughout the course of the action - a skill totally distinct from max effort heavy mug sucks.
Hauling Costco Items
This is relatively straightforward from a physical pulling standpoint. The real difficulty is in clipping into the bulk paper towels or toilet papers appropriately. A shallow clip will likely tear the plastic during the pull. Additionally, note that faster is easier, because if you go too slowly, the costco item will fall to the ground and pull your mouth down.
Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder
You might think this is a highly niche mug suck use, but up to 5% of US adults struggle with SAD each year. Admittedly the utility of the mug suck itself is rather limited here, because it can’t be used to administer the light therapy, but it’s a valuable proof of concept for future health care applications of mug sucks.
Cleaning the Toilet
An extremely easy and high value functional mug suck. No technical challenges and little suction forced required. Beginner friendly.
Vacuuming
One of the more graceful functional mug sucks, bordering on dance. Evokes a sense of freedom and whimsy in a discipline that can otherwise feel quite rigid and serious. Probably the most playful application of a mug suck I’ve found to date.
Page Turning (Piano)
Another exercise in dynamic force modulation. Use the absolute minimum amount of force needed to maintain suction while playing, then increase suction for the page turn. Decrease suction again when returning to playing.
The main challenge is preparatory: you have to poke holes in each page of sheet music and attach zip ties in them so you have something to clip into. The secondary challenge is aesthetic: many find the pause in music frustrating instead of contemplative.
Snaking the Shower
The most difficult functional mug suck given the inconsistency in suction force required from moment to moment. It’s hard to do this without over-sucking and exerting a lot of effort. I have yet to succeed. Given the rarity at which I need to shake my shower drain, I don’t have many opportunities to practice this one.