Impact-Activated Illuminating Dart Tail Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dart technologies lack a reliable tracking mechanism for drug delivery and tissue sampling in various environments, especially in areas with heavy cover or at night, as they do not illuminate upon impact, making it difficult to locate the dart or the animal post-administration.
Innovation Solution
An illuminating dart assembly with a housing containing a battery compartment and a light compartment, activated upon impact, which includes a detachable stabilizer tail and attachment element, ensuring the light is visible through a transparent compartment and activates upon target contact, providing visual tracking of the dart and animal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a lighted nock design is activated at release like arrows, then the arrow can be tracked in flight, but the target animal can visually identify and avoid the traveling dart
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by preparing the illuminator with all necessary components (battery, light source, housing) before use, but delaying the actual illumination action until impact occurs. This ensures the light is ready to activate immediately upon impact while avoiding premature activation during flight that would alert the target animal.
2Loss of information
If expensive GPS tracking systems are used to track the animal and dart, then tracking accuracy is improved, but the cost becomes prohibitive for most RDD scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable illuminator tail assembly that provides inexpensive visual tracking through a simple light source rather than expensive GPS technology. The illuminator is designed as a single-use component attached to the dart, providing adequate tracking information at a fraction of GPS system cost, thus making RDD economically viable for widespread use.
3Loss of information
If the illuminator is activated upon impact, then visual tracking of the dart and animal is enabled in diverse environments, but the battery and light components add weight to the dart
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dart system by separating the illuminator components (battery, light, housing) into a distinct tail assembly that can be attached to or removed from the dart body. This segmentation allows the illuminator to be added only when visual tracking is needed, minimizing unnecessary weight in situations where tracking is not required, while still providing the capability when needed.
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
Enables effective visual location of the dart and animal in diverse environments, improving recovery rates and reducing the need for expensive GPS tracking systems, especially during dusk or nighttime when visibility is limited.
Implementation Method 1
a battery having an actuator terminal and being slideably disposed within the battery compartment
Implementation Method 2
a light having a pair of electrical contacts and being disposed within the light compartment
Data Source
AI summary
The illuminating projectile and projectile tail includes housing, a battery, and a light and lights up upon impact with a target.