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For A Level Design & Technology

evil magpie

Oooo! Shiney hmmmmmm!
Jan 19, 2002
34
0
0
Plymouth
www.redhotpaintball.com
Originally posted by Dazzer13
I am looking at design and making pop up paintball Targets:

-An automated pop up system for paintball practice. Controlled from an external control box which targets time delays and hit status can be edited with feed back, also the targets can be change with there size or styles :D

I will be designing and making this product that is new to the paintball Market for my A level Project. It will use electronics for controlling the targets and mechanisms for the movement then radio waves to link/communicate between the both.

Dazzer13
That does sound a tad complicated!
Don't forget K.I.S.S. (Not refering to the group - but don't forget them either:D )
Keep It Simple Stupid!

Also obvious point! It will have to take a hell of a kicking!

Hope that helps:confused: :)
 

WingNut

UK Redskins
Oct 31, 2003
1,562
210
118
Essex, UK
www.uk-redskins.com
Dazzler,

If you need your targets cutting out of some sort of plactic / acrylic, drop me a line.

We have several Co2 Lasers here with varying bed sizes and powers.

Can cut any shape you like..................

For free................

All you need to do is supply the material....
 
I cant get the picture to work, with the link or on this page!!!


I was assuming all the targets were relatively close together (more of a snap shooting practice than an assault course) In which case you only need one longish wire going from the computer to the PIC, and several smaller ones going from the PIC to the targets.

If you are gonna use radio you will need a PIC and a power source in each target, and you will need a clever program to synchronise them all.
Thats gonna get expensive and complicated.


PS a CO2 laser...i want one :cool:
 

Dazzer13

Uber User
Oct 16, 2002
201
0
0
Southwest, Exeter
OK first

-WingNut-

That would be loads of help if u wouldn't mind doing
that, cheers :D, if i do need any cutting done will give u a call.

Second,
-evil magpie-

From the user point of view they product will be simple
and easy to use, place the targets where u want,
press the start button from the control box and maybe
select the modes and ****, but that’s really it. Ok designing
and making and controlling the targets could get a little
complicated from my side, but not to the users :p

Third

- John C-

The PIC programming and PIC (believe its around £5)
that I am going to be using can handle random
numbers, and vase data. Each target is going to
have a ID number (which can be edited) and then
basic after selecting the mode which is basically
timing, the program will first select a random ID
number for the targets, then a random time delay
between appearing and disappearing for each
target.

[[[Each target is going to run as a MARCO, each Macro will run at
the same time, so that targets may appear at the same time or
not]]]


Last thing

With using wiring, which would make life loads easier,
and maybe i mite do that ( cuz I am a lazy ******* ),

Negative.

Wires can get in the way,
Make a mess when storing,
Limit the distances of the targets,

Positive.

A central power source for all the targets,
Easy communication between targets and control box,
No interference,

With using radio waves, which would cost more.

Negative.

Expensive,
Interference (possibly not really sure),
Miss communication between targets (again not sure),
Each target would need a power supply. (battery) but i
mite be looking at having mains adaptors so extension
leads could be used.

Positive.

Would reduce the mess or wire,
Won’t limit the distance movement of the targets,


At the moment I am not really sure, still in that mid ground
of thinking, would differently have to talk to my peers and teachers about this a bit more :D


Cheers for all the input and suggestion

Daz
 
Dazzer

The mechanical diagrams seem very good.

Im still a little skeptical about how you plan to control them, but if you are anything like me you will go ahead and do what you want, and come back with questions when you hit a problem. So I will leave that with you.


Do you plan to have vibration sensors in each of the targets?

Are you gonna compile logs and analyse them to produce scores etc?
If so you should have a clear idea what criteria you plan to measure (for example: the time between the target popping out and it being hit). Having this all planned out before hand makes programming the system so much easier!
 

Dazzer13

Uber User
Oct 16, 2002
201
0
0
Southwest, Exeter
Yer i will have vibration sensors on all of them to detect hits, sadly all A levels are planing, the project doesn't start til setember, so thats when i will start with the written stuff.

Cheers john c u have been a very big help so far :p


Da