Shotgun and Launcher Sensor System for Shooting Performance Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor-based systems for sports like clay pigeon shooting fail to effectively track the motion of both the implement and the moving target separately without increasing costs, as attaching sensors to the target would be costly and non-reusable due to collision damage, and lack the data quality needed to differentiate expert from non-expert performance.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising sensors attached to the shotgun and the clay pigeon launcher, with a processor analyzing signals from these sensors to measure performance, allowing for the determination of expert shooting characteristics without attaching sensors to the target, using motion sensors and GPS for data collection and processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sensor is attached to the clay pigeon target, then the moving object can be tracked, but the cost increases significantly and the sensor is destroyed by collision with shot pellets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by attaching sensors to the shotgun implement and trap launcher instead of directly to the clay pigeon target. The sensors on the shotgun and trap act as intermediaries to indirectly track the target's motion through the relationship between the implement's movement and the target's flight path, avoiding direct contact that would destroy the sensor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the target tracking by using sensors on the shotgun and trap to infer target position and motion characteristics. Instead of directly measuring the target, the system copies the tracking function through measuring the implement's motion and calculating the target's trajectory based on the shooter's aim and the target's flight characteristics.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are attached to both the implement and the moving target, then complete motion data is obtained, but the cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the target sensor from the system by removing the expensive and complex component attached to the clay pigeon. Instead, the system uses a combination of sensors on the shotgun and trap along with computational algorithms to derive target motion data, significantly reducing system complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical sensor attachment on the target with a computational approach. The system uses sensors on the shotgun and trap to collect data, then employs computer processing and algorithms to calculate target position, velocity, and trajectory, substituting direct mechanical measurement with computational modeling.
3Ease of operation
If visual aim estimation is used by the shooter, then the shooting process is simple, but quantitative data on shooting performance is unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces feedback by using sensors on the shotgun and trap to automatically collect and analyze shooting performance data. The system provides quantitative feedback on shot characteristics such as velocity, angle, and accuracy, allowing shooters to improve their performance based on objective data rather than relying solely on visual estimation and intuition.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems for analyzing performance of an activity involving using an implement to strike a moving target object effectively have a first sensor attached to the implement, a second sensor attached to a launcher human or mechanically operable to launch the moving target, wherein the first sensor generates a signal associated with motion of the implement, wherein a second sensor generates a signal associated with motion of at least one of the group consisting of the launcher and the moving target being launched, a processor operably coupled to the first and second sensors to receive the signals generated by the first and second sensors, and wherein the processor analyzes the received signals to measure performance of the activity. The implement may be a firearm. The implement may be a shotgun. The launcher may be a clay pigeon trap.