Arduino/ioBridge Airsoft Target Range
by Steve Struebing on Jan.20, 2009, under technoPHILE
Indoor Airsoft Shooting Range
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL8V2lk75G4
A friend of mine who is something of an avid shooter had mentioned the lack of affordable “action” type targets. After some discussion, we determined it would be fun to build such a contraption for some indoor airsoft practice. The Arduino Diecimilia was a great choice for the “programming side” of things (I have 2 of them, he has one as well).
As a shooter, you would want to be up-range from the targets, so having something portable with a web interface was a great solution so nobody would have to be “in the line of fire”. The iPod Touch and the ioBridge module I used in another recent project. Of course, why build a custom target enclosure when I could snap one together with my Construx.
Victory! Let the fun start!
I used 3 of my hobby servos to turn the target faces. I am tightening the Construx frame to the hobby servo mount.
Building the target faces
Arduino Pin-Outs:
- Pin 13 – Debug LED
- Pin 12- Ready for Command
- Pin 11 – PWM for Servo 1
- Pin 10 – PWM for Servo 2
- Pin 9- PWM for Servo 3
- Pin 8- Incoming Command Pin (PWM from IOBridge)
- Pin 7- Command Waiting from IOBridge
- Pin 2- Peizo Speaker Control
Not to mention the ioBridge wiring, and the Servo wiring. Yeah I have a diagram or I would STILL be working on it.
A rats nest of wires for the first pass
Debugging the system
It looks a monstrosity, but once the target face is on it, I cut up some cloth as the Airsoft BB trap, it will look just fine.
All done, ready to rock!
System debugged, targets turning! Now I can call out the programs remotely using the web browser in the iTouch and let the IOBrige tell the Arduino to do my bidding.
How the Airsoft Target Range Was Built
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww8qHa7d3Mw
Arduino Source Code: Arduino-ioBridge-Airsoft-Source-Code.txt
I would say this was a fun, interesting, and rewarding project. I have also made it future-proof enough to scale up the number of targets for even more options. For those of you airsofters who don’t want your skills to dull over the winter, turn your basement into a range!
Now, should I put hay-bales on a servo platform for an indoor archery range?
Happy tinkering!
Full Video Version (Combined Demo + Instructions)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpXecFOMGCk
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Where the WHY is what matters.
www.twitter.com/polymythic This DIY blog is centered around modern technology (hacking, electronics, software) and primitive tech/skills (tools, techniques, including ancient technology). Focus will be on instruction and exploration of projects in these areas.
Wearing the haptic headband
January 21st, 2009 on 8:53 am
That is utterly fantastic!
Perhaps I will repurpose my coil gun project to an airsoft system and see if I can take down your targets!
Well done sir.
January 22nd, 2009 on 5:53 am
[…] (Plus d’infos sur polymythic.com) […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 6:28 am
Great job! (‘ve made a blogpost about your project ;))
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:03 am
J’apprécie vos commentaires! Merci beaucoup!
January 22nd, 2009 on 10:05 am
[…] be to put together ostensibly complex prototypes. For instance, how about an affordable moving airsoft target range, for some indoor shooting practise: Arduino and ioBridge based, it’s all controlled through […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 10:23 am
[…] style targets for their airsoft hobby. [Steve] took this as an opportunity to make his own automated target system. The targets themselves are made from K’NEX, a paper target and a piece of cloth to stop the […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 10:29 am
U’re Welcome (your french is great ^^).
PS: This will probably make you smile 😉
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/01/22/ipod-touchcontrolled.html
See’ ya 😉
January 22nd, 2009 on 3:36 pm
Great stuff. I’ve been struggling with getting my server to talk to servos (http://dmt195.wordpress.com) and then I see this IoBridge! C’est la vie!
January 22nd, 2009 on 4:06 pm
[…] be to put together ostensibly complex prototypes. For instance, how about an affordable moving airsoft target range, for some indoor shooting practise: Arduino and ioBridge based, it’s all controlled through […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 8:28 pm
This is a popular subject with great data so well done on your success and interesting topic it should be discussed. Did you totally agree with the top half of this? The rest was fine and informative. Ill check back soon for any added comments, thanks.
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:11 pm
[…] whether you have the brains and determination like Polymythic, you’re able to come up with an iPod touch-controlled target range with a little help from friends like an Arduino microcontroller board, an ioBridge panel and three […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:16 pm
Thanks for the writeup Hack A Day. They are Construx, in fact. Another great toy.
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:17 pm
Yes, I am smiling! Merci encore une fois, Stagueve. A bientot!
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:18 pm
[…] whether you have the brains and determination like Polymythic, you’re able to come up with an iPod touch-controlled target range with a little help from friends like an Arduino microcontroller board, an ioBridge panel and three […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:22 pm
Thanks for the feedback, but I am a little unclear about which part you are asking if I agree with. Do you refer to the targets on hay-bales? That was something of a joke, of course. I don’t think my little hobby servos would turn a 50-100 pound hay-bale! If I did, I would get into the Servo business 🙂 The current incarnation could be modified to accomodate arrows, but you’d have to be able to nock new arrows like lightning.
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:29 pm
[…] whether you have the brains and determination like Polymythic, you’re able to come up with an iPod touch-controlled target range with a little help from friends like an Arduino microcontroller board, an ioBridge panel and three […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:35 pm
[…] whether you have the brains and determination like Polymythic, you’re able to come up with an iPod touch-controlled target range with a little help from friends like an arduino microcontroller board, an ioBridge panel and three […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:42 pm
[…] whether you have the brains and determination like Polymythic, you’re able to come up with an iPod touch-controlled target range with a little help from friends like an Arduino microcontroller board, an ioBridge panel and three […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 9:58 pm
[…] whether you have the brains and determination like Polymythic, you’re able to come up with an iPod touch-controlled target range with a little help from friends like an Arduino microcontroller board, an ioBridge panel and three […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 10:00 pm
[…] whether you have the brains and determination like Polymythic, you’re able to come up with an iPod touch-controlled target range with a little help from friends like an Arduino microcontroller board, an ioBridge panel and three […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 10:23 pm
[…] style targets for their airsoft hobby. [Steve] took this as an opportunity to make his own automated target system. The targets themselves are made from Construx, a paper target and a piece of cloth to stop the […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 10:37 pm
[…] whether you have the brains and determination like Polymythic, you’re able to come up with an iPod touch-controlled target range with a little help from friends like an Arduino microcontroller board, an ioBridge panel and three […]
January 22nd, 2009 on 11:08 pm
[…] whether you have the brains and determination like Polymythic, you’re able to come up with an iPod touch-controlled target range with a little help from friends like an Arduino microcontroller board, an ioBridge panel and three […]
January 23rd, 2009 on 12:12 am
[…] whether you have the brains and determination like Polymythic, you’re able to come up with an iPod touch-controlled target range with a little help from friends like an Arduino microcontroller board, an ioBridge panel and three […]
January 23rd, 2009 on 2:47 am
Hi, i work at libelium and i have seen your design, really interesting.
Maybe you could improve it with batt and xbee to make it portable. And maybe in future with preasure sensors to count hits automatically.
We have an open contest http://contest.libelium.com maybe you would like to participate on the contest.
January 23rd, 2009 on 11:41 am
I found a this off of Geek.com and think it totally ROCKS! Thanks for sharing!
January 26th, 2009 on 5:59 pm
[…] if you have the brains and determination like Polymythic, you’re able to come up with an iPod touch-controlled target range with a little help from friends like an Arduino microcontroller board, an ioBridge panel and three […]
January 27th, 2009 on 7:42 pm
you need to patent that real soon. cause it would be really sweet at the gun range doin a shtf senario with moving targets with my ar-15. different targets coming at you at different speeds and distances plus turning side to side like that.talk about an intence traning experience. hell i bet you could sell to blackwater today.
February 1st, 2009 on 6:51 am
Nice job. I can see the IO Bridge becoming a popular integration method. You should sell the system!
March 8th, 2009 on 1:58 am
I am always searching for online resources that can help me. Thank you!
March 20th, 2009 on 3:01 am
[…] https://www.polymythic.com/2009/01/arduino-iobridge-airsoft-target-range/ […]
June 22nd, 2009 on 11:54 am
Nice idea:)
Let me know if you decide to make a kit.
Denis
June 22nd, 2009 on 8:51 pm
Thanks Denis. No real plan to make a kit, with an arduino, an ioBridge, and a couple steppers, it would be game time. The target faces can be as simple or complex as you desire, and in any orientation that the servos will support.
November 22nd, 2009 on 8:58 pm
Please go to USPSA.org and view the video.
This is what I do for a hobby. It would be nice to be able to have one target(a popper)activate a swinging target. Many of us would like to have this in our indoor ranges.
Please contact if interested.
March 12th, 2010 on 4:16 am
My brother and I love air-soft and all of us fancy my bros Springfield duplicate. I think so long as you’re responsible, air-soft is a amazing recreation and may well teach juvenile children firearm safety…in safety.
December 12th, 2010 on 11:11 am
Steve,
I build indoor ranges for a living. I have built most all of the large ranges in the US, including the FBI Quantico, FLETC, NRA, an numerous military and police ranges. I am currently working with Edmonton Police. We are working on a new target system to market. Would you have any interest in bringing your expertise to the table?
December 28th, 2010 on 10:09 am
project is fantastic, great …
February 20th, 2014 on 6:19 am
Hi, I know that this is a bit old, but this is a great way of getting a target system setup. The question I have (very, very new to Arduino) is can this be setup without the IoBridge as the location that I want to use it has no internet connection.
Thanks in advance,
Lee Cook
February 20th, 2014 on 7:08 pm
You bet, but you may have to sacrifice some of the User Interface on the iTouch. I would recommend you to use an Arduino, get a Pololu motor driver board, get a couple push buttons.
You can “pre program” the scenarios you want, and the arduino would send commands to the motor drivers with serial information.
OR, you could drive the motors directly from the Arduino. up to you. Just make sure you’re sourcing your current from something, and not from the arduino. It won’t push those motors.
Set up 3-4 push buttons on input pins to the arduino
So basically, your code may be something like:
loop()
{
if button1Press, wait for 10 seconds for you to get into a shooting position, do some program (i.e. send commands to motors in a sequence
if button2Press, wait for 10 seconds for you to get into a shooting position, do some program
if button3Press, wait for 10 seconds for you to get into a shooting position, do some program
if button4Press, wait for 10 seconds for you to get into a shooting position, do some random program (random wait times, etc, etc)
}
Good luck!!!
February 21st, 2014 on 6:39 am
Thank you for this, gives me something to work on.
Regards,
Lee
June 7th, 2015 on 4:40 pm
Hello,
Firstly I know nothing about electricity or electrical or control Arduino programming. I´m a french policeman and I like to know if someone could help me write an Arduino program following.
I would like to achieve targets with swivel 6 6 engines 12 volt type JGY370 high torque motor full metal gear worm gear motor DC 12V. a delay remotely controlled with Wireless Multi-function Learning Digital Remote Control Switch 12 Road
I wish there were two or three programs:
Program 1:
-The Target would go from 0 and when I press button 1, the No. 1 target should make a quarter turn to the right (90) and return to the 0 position with a time delay after 2 or 3 seconds then automatically when I press the button 2 of the target telecomande 1 doivrait then start left (-90) and return after 2 to 3 seconds. (Actually 0/90/0 / -90). And that with any of the targets. The 1,3,5,7,9,11 buttons, rotate the left and targets are 2,4,6,8,10,12 rourner the target right. The manual would be a program.
Program 2:
Then I would have a program that automatically launches any target left or right automatically with a delay of 3 seconds max with ability to run two or three times in succession sometimes different target randomly but to the right or left.
Program 3:
Same program as précédememnt but with a shorter delay time delay of 1.5 second between each target rotation.
That’s my problem with the Arduino ….
Thank you for your help.