Automatic Dartboard Scoring Using Motion Phase Detection and Dual Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic dartboard scoring systems are prone to interference and errors, particularly due to shadowing effects and players manually placing darts, which can lead to false scoring and slow down gameplay.
Innovation Solution
A method that captures images of the dartboard to detect a moving phase with predetermined characteristics followed by a stationary phase, ensuring only validly thrown darts are scored, combined with a dual lighting system to enhance image clarity and accuracy, including a ring-shaped LED light and spotlights to illuminate darts in-flight and on the board.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automatic scoring systems use cameras to detect dart positions, then scoring speed is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to false scoring from manual dart placement
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures images at predetermined time intervals to detect the moving phase of darts before they settle on the board. By analyzing the temporal sequence of images showing dart motion characteristics (flight trajectory, settling movement), the system can distinguish between legitimately thrown darts and manually placed darts, thereby preventing false scoring while maintaining automatic scoring speed
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from sequential image analysis to verify dart throw validity. By comparing successive images and detecting characteristic movement patterns (dart in flight, dart settling, stationary position), the system provides feedback validation that scores are only assigned to darts with proper motion characteristics, eliminating false scores from manual placement
2Measurement precision
If lighting is provided to illuminate darts on the dartboard, then detection accuracy is improved, but shadowing effects may introduce errors
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is segmented into multiple light sources positioned at different locations around the dartboard. This segmentation allows each light source to illuminate specific areas, and by coordinating multiple light sources, the system can fill in shadowed regions while maintaining overall illumination, thereby improving dart detection accuracy without suffering from shadowing errors
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system provides local quality illumination by positioning lights to specifically illuminate the dartboard surface and dart areas. The lighting is tailored to the local requirements of dart detection, providing enhanced illumination where darts are most likely to appear while minimizing shadowing in critical detection zones through strategic light placement and angle optimization
3Reliability
If image frequency is increased to detect moving darts, then validity verification is improved, but data processing load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses partial action by capturing images at high frequency only during the critical detection window when darts are in flight or settling. Once darts are stationary, image capture frequency is reduced. This partial high-frequency sampling provides sufficient data for validity verification without continuously generating excessive data that would overload processing systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the essential information from high-frequency images for validity verification - specifically detecting the presence of motion characteristics and stationary position. By extracting only these critical features rather than processing all image data in full detail, the system achieves reliable valid throw verification while keeping data processing complexity manageable
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach improves the integrity of automatic scoring by preventing false scores and ensuring accurate detection of valid throws, allowing for faster gameplay and reliable scoring.
Implementation Method 1
a ring-shaped LED light and spotlights to illuminate darts in-flight and on the board
Data Source
AI summary
A method is disclosed for automatically scoring a game of darts. The method involves obtaining an image of a dartboard (2) using three cameras (10), detecting a visual disturbance in the image, and identifying a validly thrown dart if the visual disturbance includes a moving phase with a maximum temporal duration and successive images of the dartboard which exhibit differences. The visual disturbance should also include a stationary phase when the dart has been embedded in the dartboard (2). The method also includes calculating a score for the validly thrown dart based on its stationary position relative to the dartboard. A lighting system for a dartboard is also disclosed where a LED strip light (14) is provided around a circumference of the dartboard and three spotlights (8) are provided above the dartboard.