Hitting a target with a gun or a bow and arrow can be incredibly difficult, especially if it’s your first time. However, YouTuber Shane Wighton of Stuff Made Here (the same guy who created a robot to cut his hair) decided to do something about it by creating a bow and arrow setup that would be able to hit its target most of the time, even if you’re a complete beginner.
To help make this happen, Wighton had to install a bunch of OptiTrack motion capture cameras around his workshop, attach sensors to the bow and the target, and write up some custom software that basically translates what the cameras are seeing. He also had to create a rig for the bow that would automatically adjust itself to make up for any movements the user makes that might throw the aim off.
The end result is a pretty bulky and heavy rig which had to be supported on a Steadicam, a device typically worn by camera operators that allows them to hold heavy camera setups while at the same time ensuring steady footage. The end result is pretty cool. Maybe not as elegant as we would have liked or imagined, but considering it’s a DIY process, it’s mighty impressive.
Wighton notes that there are some shortcomings to this setup, namely how it doesn’t work as well for targets that are further away, but he is working on a newer version that we can’t wait to see.
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