Idea for a new paintball marker...

danielwang · Post by **danielwang** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 1:59 am

Here's an idea for a new paintball marker. It would likely be outlawed on the fields within days of it's release. However, this does make an interesting "assistive cheat"...

Install sensors on the marking device. These will be designed to be robust (f*ck-resist) and idiot-resistant. While paintballers are 99.9% of the time far from idiocy, these things get dropped, soaked, impacted and hit by paintballs.

Link that up to a machine vision recognition algorithm, based on the sensor being used (visual, IR thermal, etc). If you've watched any mecha anime, you know that this should be closed source and proprietary.

Change the activation input device. The trigger is too simple, have a multiple axis capture... add a few mutton on the grip.

Now, and this is the DUH part, make the marker accurate. Most markers are not. Make it accurate.

Now hook it up so that when one button is held, firing rate is automatically and dynamically selected based on target hit. This means that it will autofire when you point it at the opponent. And fire less when not. Simple, really.

Yet another one of Daniel's ideas to mkae things simpler by making them horribly complicated but then oversimplifying it (which can screw things up).

Mr Pilkington · Post by **Mr Pilkington** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:07 am

Damnit!! Is there an off button?!

kthulhu · Post by **kthulhu** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:07 am

Wouldn't it just be easier to spray-fire at your target?

El Banana · Post by **El Banana** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:10 am

Paintballs loaded with a flammable liquid...

and a tiny impact detonator.

danielwang · Post by **danielwang** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:16 am

kthulhu wrote:Wouldn't it just be easier to spray-fire at your target?

This one is better: it calculates the rate of fire dynamically based on the results of a machine vision algorithm. It's simple, really, sort of like the Invisible Keyboard system: Infrared bursts are sent out at a certain wavelength, and the return time and wavelength are recorded. This gives you the colour refraction and the distance. For passive detection, you would get heat.

Objects that are hot and considerably close to you are possible targets. Dispense rate at hopper and firing rate increases as vector is orthogonal to (pointing at) the possible target.

Heat seeking paintball markers, I like that idea.
Next thing you know, engineer paintballers will be coding it to their opponent's jersey colour... buttons on the marker for live programming... hit the "He's Wearing A Brown Jersey" button and that's it.

Mr Pilkington · Post by **Mr Pilkington** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:17 am

El Banana wrote:Paintballs loaded with a flammable liquid...

and a tiny impact detonator.

In all seriousness I tried that once. I spent and entire afternoon using a syringe to fill 50 paintballs with Gasoline and 50 with Ammonia. The results? Better than any Moltov cocktail, and twice the number of cops/fire arrived to extinguish the blaze

El Banana · Post by **El Banana** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:18 am

Awesome.

You sir, are my hero.

Mr Pilkington · Post by **Mr Pilkington** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:19 am

**bows**

Please, no pictures!

El Banana · Post by **El Banana** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:20 am

Wait, was the impact enough to ignite the gasoline and ammonia?

danielwang · Post by **danielwang** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:21 am

" If you've watched any mecha anime, you know that this should be closed source and proprietary. "

An idea the Gundam engineers should implement to fool those crummy Open Source lockon algorithms:

Cover the Gundam in an holographic electric-response LCD-type coating, or magnetic/thermal response if need be. Change the colour of the Gundam from the front cockpit anytime you want.

Why aren't we seeing this in Gundam Seed? Manufacturers such as Citroen/Renault are already planning on selling this feature...