Marker Evolution?

[Scottya]

The next level of fighter planes are pilotless.

Would kind of take the fun out of the game if your marker ran around on its own

Lol. Your missing the point, it was simply an example.

What I am trying to say is that 50 years ago, would unmanned aircraft have been a concevable idea? Now it is a reality!

 

[Lucky]

I don't think much will happen on the size of a marker any more because there is the physical constraints of the human body to deal with.....to small a gun is unuseable.
Weight? my other passion is mountainbikes and in their evolution they just got lighter and lighter, but then they started to break because they were simply not strong enough, but now as better materials are being used the weights have started to fall, but "NOT" dramatically. Every Gram shaved off now is by endless hours of engineering trickery. Markers will still fall in weight for a while but when you bring it down to it's basics of a thin walled piece of tubing, it looks damn ugly and no-one will buy it, so i'm affraid weight will stay "up" in order that the marker looks good.
Hoppers and Bottles? That's where the next weight saving gains will be made, and what about a lighter paintball that somehow still flies as well?
Consistancy? Better reg improvements etc etc to put a true ball on ball consistancy. How about electronic on the fly velocity adjustment that will maintain 299fps all day, hot or cold? I reckon the technology already exsists for that one
Reliability? The maintenance free marker?
Efficiency? Be honest, if you filled up before the game have you ever run out? not really an issue then is it?
Cost? I'm not saying it is good but the epihany looks good and at a good price, same goes for the Rail. Good looking reliable markers that shoot with the best of them....the way foreward
Of course all that sounds really boring so i'll stick with my cocker

 

[Jonny 03]

If I was going to ask for a dream marker for use within the next 3years I'd want something compact and complete that takes advantage of micro processing technology and does the annoying bits for me so all I have to do is point and shoot without worries. I'd want something with everything built in so theres no worries about aftermarket costs. Just a simple setup thats as automated as possible and ready to roll from word go.

A fully digital display similar to high end mobile phone screens with a simple to use menu displaying options for fire modes, output pressures etc and control of a fully intergrated digital regular. I'd like the marker to use an intergrated processor to operate an automated system that adjusts itself according to how much pressure is left. It levels the dwell and input pressure automatically. Programmed software which never allows the marker to shoot over 300 fps period, and a standard setting of 280 fps. All with a manual overrides. Automatic troubleshooter can locate problems and leaks within the marker pinpointing issues and saving you valuable time (but without the annoying messages of the Ir3). Finally the system can be upgraded via patches available online with the marker simply plugging in to your standard PC via USB and included software.
Using Mini technology theres no longer requirements to move the air into the foregrip, instead the digital regulator is intergrated into the grip cutting down on possible problems with minor leaks.

I dont know how realistic it is but there it is. The more I read back the more I realise WDP have touched on many of these things, so I guess its out there. Its just technology that needs refined.

Also just for fun, how cool would a mobile phone style camera built into the body below the barrel be?

 

[speedbird_666]

Again, everything mentioned so far revolves around refinement of existing technologies.

The real question is; In what shape the true next generation of marker technology come?

Let's put it this way, we had Pump markers, the industry designed Semi's which completely changed everything. From the Semi's, we entered (and are still in) the electronic age of markers.........so what's next?

 

[Dark Stranger]

E-Volt! Thats the name, what a nightmare I had trying to remember what it was called. Did they get any further than a prototype with it? Last I heard they were gonna release the first batch in the fall of 2005 (?) but nothing came of it. Have they tried to refine the technology since?

Talking of evolution, I found the following on 68cal.com. It may be something, it may be nothing. Its hard to tell whether they are refering to something that operates like a blowback or a completely new technology. Sometimes you have to look to the past to step into the future.

G-Force has recently received a granted patent #7,210,473 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on the use of pneumatic valves to operate a paintball marker without the need of solenoids or electronics. The G-Force patented pneumatic system will enable pneumatic and mechanical markers to shoot as fast as any semi-electronic markers.

G-Force is making available low cost licensing to any company who wishes to utilize this new technology in manufacturing non-electronic paintball markers or to produce pneumatic conversion for existing mechanical markers.

Remember seing this a couple of weeks ago. They seem to have only patented the idea as opposed to produce a new style of marker.

Do mags not fall under this patent?

 

[ollytheosteo]

The G-Force (anyone remember Battle of the Planets) technology refers to a prototype that's been 'coming soon' for bloody ages, which was purported to offer 20+bps with no batteries, eyes etc. It uses a mechanical/pneumatic bolt setup that will bounce off paint and has a walkable trigger. Take a look at

http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=1608800

for more info with that added PBN bonus of lots of idiots going 'ugly' and 'needs eyes'

Personally I'd like to see better, cheaper paint at all levels and rather than making guns more complicated and adding needless electronics etc a move towards simplicity and reliability; at all levels you still see guys hitting their £800 guns with a stick and shouting and that sucks balls. The Mini actually impressed me for different reasons; less moving parts, modular design for easy changing out of electronics etc and no hoses to leak.

 

[scoobytgi]

A set of eyes in the barrel at some point would be able to measure the velocity of your paint - measuring the time between the shot and the ball leaving the barrel, thus eliminating the need for chronos - That could be tied into the electronic regs as mentioned above for "on the fly" pressure or, more likely, dwell adjustments to keep the most consistant velocities. It would involve the barrel being essentially a part of the marker tho I guess which leaves less room for customising markers. Swings and roundabouts...

Also, perhaps the pulse RF chips could be developed further - Imagine a Halo backplate being a screen giving you a game timer, RoF counter, balls remaining in the hopper, Dwell, Fire modes. perhaps even linking to your other players to report how many players you still have live on the field?

 

[Destroyer 105]

They need to make really smaller high pressure tanks. Tanks and hoppers are what let marker down as they make them unbalanced and alot heavier.

 

[Robin Hood]

A set of eyes in the barrel at some point would be able to measure the velocity of your paint - measuring the time between the shot and the ball leaving the barrel, thus eliminating the need for chronos - That could be tied into the electronic regs as mentioned above for "on the fly" pressure or, more likely, dwell adjustments to keep the most consistant velocities. It would involve the barrel being essentially a part of the marker tho I guess which leaves less room for customising markers. Swings and roundabouts...

I think that could be quite feasible. If you adopt a quick disconnect barrel system that is just plug and play as opposed to screw in, then you could have the eyes/sensor in the barrel connect to the gat with no hassle - similar to the way the mini foregrip connects to the body through plug/connector.

Still, seems a bit gimmicky. Not sure if they would mass produce it but it would be cool though.

Lets not forget about telekenesis. Just think, your playing semi, you imagine the sounds 'bbbrrrrraaaappp' and you've got in instant machine gun. Excellent!

The most important things in my mind now would be:

1. Shot to shot consistency = accuracy.
2. Size of proppellant setup. ie. using smaller tanks (would tie up with drastically improving efficiency if you keep with compressed air and don't increase the amount of pressure in a single tank) and alternative methods like the evolt. Developing the propane in such a way to dissipate the heat more efficiently to get at least 10 bps would be pretty damn cool too. You can get 50,000 shots from a single 16oz propane tank I believe. Imagine being able to use 1ounze cartridges for an entire tourney.

 

[Cook$]

In the near future, I think markers will be made of dreams and powered by love. And they'll shoot sexually explicit language instead of paintballs. And they'll all be splash anodised.