Targets

Abstract

The invention provides physical targets for training, including targets (101) for projectiles fired by non-ballistic ammunition such as paint marker rounds. The targets can be used for detecting the impact of a projectile, with the target including a body (103) and plurality of sensors mounted on the body for detecting an impact of a projectile on the body. Each sensor provides an output representing a detected impact. A processor receives the sensor outputs and determines, from the sensor outputs, a location at which the projectile impacts the body. The target may also include one or more domain actuators (202) controlling actions of the target based on a current behavioural state of the target.

1 . A physical target for detecting the impact of a projectile, the target comprising:
 a body;   a plurality of sensors mounted on the body for detecting an impact of a projectile on the body, each sensor providing an output representing a detected impact; and   a processor configured to receive the sensor outputs and to determine from the sensor outputs a location at which the projectile impacts the body.   
     
     
         2 . The target of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of sensors are acoustic wave sensors to detect acoustic waves caused by impact of the projectile on the body. 
     
     
         3 . The target of  claim 2 , wherein the acoustic wave sensors are piezoelectric sensors. 
     
     
         4 . The target of  claim 2 , wherein the acoustic wave sensors are microphones. 
     
     
         5 . The target of  any one of the preceding claims , wherein a surface of the body includes two or more defined zones and the determination of the location of the impact is a determination of which one of the two or more zones the projectile has impacted. 
     
     
         6 . The target of  claim 5 , wherein the body of the target comprises two or more discrete panels, each of which corresponds to one of the two or more defined zones, wherein each panel has one or more of the plurality of sensors mounted thereon. 
     
     
         7 . The target of  claim 5 or claim 6 , wherein the processor determines the zone that the projectile has impacted based on the location of the sensor or sensors that have the highest magnitude response to the impact of the projectile. 
     
     
         8 . The target of any one of  claims 1 to 4 , wherein the determination of the location of the impact is a determination of a specific location on the body. 
     
     
         9 . The target of  claim 8 , wherein the processor determines the specific location on the body based on multilateration between sensor locations for those sensors of the plurality of sensors that provide an output upon impact of the projectile. 
     
     
         10 . The target of  claim 8 or claim 9 , wherein a surface of the body includes two or more defined zones and, having determined a specific location of the impact of the projectile, the processor determines which one of the defined zones the specific location falls within. 
     
     
         11 . The target of any one of  claims 5 to 7 and 10 , wherein the defined zones on the target are categorised as one of a plurality of defined categories and an output from the processor includes a category for the zone that the projectile has impacted. 
     
     
         12 . The target of  claim 11 , wherein the defined categories include one or more of a kill zone category, a maim zone category and a pain zone category. 
     
     
         13 . The target of  claim 11 or claim 12 , wherein a behaviour of the target subsequent to impact by a projectile is determined at least in part by the category of the zone impacted by the projectile. 
     
     
         14 . The target of any one of  claims 11 to 13 , wherein the processor determines a magnitude of the impact from the sensor outputs and a behaviour of the target subsequent to impact by a projectile is determined at least in part by the determined magnitude of the impact. 
     
     
         15 . The target of  any one of the preceding claims , further comprising one or more environmental sensors. 
     
     
         16 . The target of  claim 15 , wherein the sensors are mounted on the target body. 
     
     
         17 . The target of  claim 15 or claim 16 , wherein environmental sensors include one or more of:
 sensors for detecting sound in the proximity of the target;   sensors for detecting motion in the proximity of the target;   sensors for detecting objects in the proximity of the target; and   sensors for capturing images of the target surroundings.   
     
     
         18 . The target of any one of  claims 15 to 17 , wherein the sensors include one or more microphones. 
     
     
         19 . The target of any one of  claims 15 to 18 , wherein the sensors include one or more cameras 
     
     
         20 . The target of  any one of the preceding claims , comprising one or more actuators to control actions of the target. 
     
     
         21 . The target of  claim 20 , wherein the actions include one or more of:
 movement of the target;   sound emission from the target; and   firing ammunition from the target.   
     
     
         22 . The target of  claim 21 , wherein said actuators cause movement of the target body comprising one or more of rotation of the body about a vertical axis of the target body, pitch of the target relative to the vertical axis and change in vertical position of the body along the vertical axis. 
     
     
         23 . The target of any one of  claims 20 to 22 , wherein the actuators are controlled to cause actions of the target in response to outputs from one or more of the sensors on the target. 
     
     
         24 . The target of  claim 23 , wherein the target can be assigned one of a plurality of target states and the actions of the target in response to outputs from the sensors are controlled based at least in part on a current state of the target. 
     
     
         25 . The target of  claim 24 , wherein the current state of the target is determined at least in part based on earlier outputs from one or more of the sensors on the target. 
     
     
         26 . The target of  any one of the preceding claims , wherein the ammunition firing the projectile is non-ballistic ammunition. 
     
     
         27 . The target of  claim 26 , wherein the non-ballistic ammunition is selected from paint marker rounds, non-marking rounds, plastic airsoft rounds, air rifle pellets, rubber bullets and bean bag rounds. 
     
     
         28 . The target of  any one of the preceding claims , wherein sensor outputs and/or actuator actions are recorded in the target for later retrieval and/or sent to an external server. 
     
     
         29 . A target comprising one or more domain sensors and one or more domain actuators, the domain actuators controlling actions of the target;
 the target having a current behavioural state, selected from a plurality of possible behavioural states; and   the one or more domain actuators controlling the actions of the target at least in part based on the current behavioural state of the target.   
     
     
         30 . A target according to  claim 29 , wherein the current behavioural state of the target is selected based at least in part on one or more outputs from one or more of the domain sensors. 
     
     
         31 . A target according to  claim 29 or claim 30 , wherein the target moves from one state to another state based on at least in part on one or more of the outputs from the one or more domain sensors. 
     
     
         32 . A target according to any one of  claims 29 to 31 , wherein the target moves from one state to another based at least in part on an elapsed period of time. 
     
     
         33 . A target according to any one of  claims 29 to 32 , wherein the target moves from one state to another based on an external input. 
     
     
         34 . A target according to any one of  claims 29 to 33 , wherein the domain actuators are controlled based at least in part on one or more outputs from the one or more domain sensors. 
     
     
         35 . A target according to  claim 34 , wherein the control of the domain actuators in response to the domain sensor outputs is modified based on the current state of the target. 
     
     
         36 . A target according to any one of  claims 29 to 35 , wherein the possible target states include any one or more of: idle; alert; attacking; stunned; weakly attacking; subdued; and dead. 
     
     
         37 . A target according to  claim 36 , wherein the target moves from an idle state to an alert state based on the domain sensors having detected sound or movement. 
     
     
         38 . A target according to  claim 37 , wherein the target moves from the alert state back to the idle state after a predetermined period of time has elapsed at the idle state. 
     
     
         39 . A target according to  claim 37 , wherein the target moves from an alert state to an attacking state based on the domain sensors having detected further movement or further sound. 
     
     
         40 . A target according to any one of  claims 36 to 39 , wherein the target moves to a stunned state based on the domain sensors having detected a flashbang detonation in the proximity of the target. 
     
     
         41 . A target according to  claim 40 , wherein the flashbang detonation is detected based on a combination of outputs from the domain sensors, including one or more domain sensors detecting light above a predetermined intensity at the same time as one or more domain sensors detecting sound in a predetermined frequency range associated with the detonation of a flashbang. 
     
     
         42 . A target according to  claim 40 or claim 41 , wherein the target moves from the stunned state to a weakly attacking state after a predefined period of time has elapsed from detection of the flashbang condition. 
     
     
         43 . A target according to any one of  claims 36 to 42 , wherein the target moves to a subdued state based at least in part on one or more of the domain sensors detecting an impact from a projectile to a maim zone on the target. 
     
     
         44 . A target according to any one of  claims 36 to 43 , wherein the target moves to a subdued state based at least in part on a surrender decision. 
     
     
         45 . A target according to  claim 44 , wherein the surrender decision is made by the target autonomously. 
     
     
         46 . A target according to any one of  claims 36 to 45 , wherein the target moves to a killed state based at least in part on one or more of the domain sensors detecting an impact from a projectile to a kill zone on the target. 
     
     
         47 . A target according to any one of  claims 29 to 46 , wherein the domain sensors include any one or more of:
 sensors for detecting an impact of a projectile on the target;   sensors for detecting sound in the proximity of the target;   sensors for detecting motion in the proximity of the target;   sensors for detecting objects in the proximity of the target; and   sensors for capturing images of the target surroundings.   
     
     
         48 . A target according to any one of  claims 29 to 47 , wherein the actions of the target controlled by the domain actuators include any one or more of:
 movement of the target;   sound emission from the target; and   firing ammunition from the target.   
     
     
         49 . A target according to any one of  claims 29 to 48 , wherein sensor outputs and/or actuator actions are recorded in the target for later retrieval and/or sent to an external server.