Resistive Sheet Target with LED Feedback for Real-Time Hit Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing target systems for gun shooting and archery are costly and impractical for quick setup, as they require complex and expensive calibration for detecting bullet or arrow entry points, making them unsuitable for many situations.
Innovation Solution
A flexible target system with a printed light emitting diode (LED) layer and a resistive sheet on a single substrate, which detects projectile holes by measuring resistance changes, allowing for automatic scoring and real-time feedback to a portable device, and can be easily set up and replaced.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If complex optical detection or sound triangulation systems are used to detect bullet entry points, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex optical detection systems and sound triangulation equipment with a simple resistive sheet mechanism. The resistive sheet uses basic electrical resistance changes caused by projectile penetration to detect hit locations, substituting sophisticated mechanical/optical systems with a straightforward electrical sensing approach that maintains detection capability while dramatically reducing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable resistive sheets that are inexpensive to manufacture and replace. These sheets use simple carbon-based resistive materials printed on flexible substrates, making them far cheaper than permanent optical or acoustic detection systems. The sheets are designed to be replaced rather than repaired, reducing maintenance complexity and cost while providing reliable detection for each use
2Measurement precision
If fixed detection systems with remote sensing devices are deployed, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation and setup time worsen due to extensive calibration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The resistive sheet system is self-calibrating and requires no external calibration equipment or procedures. When a projectile penetrates the target, it automatically creates a resistance change that the scanning circuit detects and translates into coordinate information. The system serves itself by using the physical act of penetration to generate the detection signal, eliminating the need for operators to perform complex calibration routines before each use
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the detection function from complex fixed systems and embeds it directly into the target itself. The resistive sheet is integrated within the target structure, allowing the target to detect and report its own hit locations without requiring external sensors or calibration equipment. This extraction enables the target to be moved and set up anywhere without carrying or calibrating separate detection systems
3Ease of manufacture
If standard replaceable paper targets are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but measurement precision worsens as they cannot detect hit locations automatically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite target structure by integrating resistive materials (such as carbon-based conductive inks) into the paper or plastic target substrate. This composite construction maintains the simplicity and low cost of traditional paper targets while adding electrical sensing capability. The resistive layer is printed or laminated onto the target face, creating a unified structure that is both easy to manufacture and capable of automatic hit detection through resistance changes
Solution Approach 2:
The target serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the traditional visual target image for shooters, acts as a physical barrier to stop projectiles, and functions as an electronic sensing element that detects and reports hit locations. The resistive sheet integrates these functions by using the same physical structure that stops the projectile to generate the detection signal, eliminating the need for separate detection equipment
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
The system provides cost-effective, portable, and practical feedback on projectile hits, allowing for real-time scoring and location tracking, suitable for various shooting scenarios without the need for extensive calibration.
Implementation Method 1
The resistive sheet may be a thin layer of a carbon mixture printed on the target substrate. The fixed DC voltage is periodically applied across the resistive sheet to detect its horizontal resistance. Any new projectile hole in the resistive sheet increases the horizontal resistance of the sheet.
Implementation Method 2
The target also includes a thin layer of printed light emitting diodes (LEDs) and a projectile hole detection layer behind the target face.
Implementation Method 3
a thin layer of printed light emitting diodes (LEDs)
Data Source
AI summary
An active target has a target face that is backlit by LEDs, where a detection layer behind the target face detects a new projectile hole in the target, such as from a gun or an arrow. The detection layer may be formed of one or more resistive layers, and the detected increase in resistance due to a new projectile hole being created is sensed and correlated to an XY position of the hole. The location of the new hole is transmitted via an RF signal to the shooter's portable device, such as a smartphone, and the shooter sees the location of the hit relative to the target face in real time. The LEDs may be dynamically controlled. The target is disposable and is supported by a support base containing the control electronics and transmitter.