摘要 |
A device is described for locating the positions of impact of projectiles as they strike a target by detecting the pressure or force delivered upon impact. A sensor layer is made of resistive ink applied to a non-conductive material. An electrical current is applied to the resistive ink layer, and when the force of impact from the projectile acts upon the sensor layer a change in impedance is measured via standard circuits and electronics. The magnitude of the impact force can also be correlated to the magnitude of the resulting change in impedance. The resistive ink layer can be divided into smaller sections to provide location data to the output electronics. Each section of the sensor layer connects to the output electronics via sensor connectors made from either conductive inks or standard wires. Output electronics connect to a standard display device. A pressure transfer layer may be present in front of the sensor layer when the projectile has a higher velocity. This pressure transfer layer will protect the sensor layer from damage. For projectiles of high velocity an additional front layer may be present which absorbs the impact and stops the projectile. The front layer is made from the appropriate material for the particular projectile. Except in the case of very low velocity projectiles, the projectile never directly contacts the sensor layer. The resistive ink layer can also be continuous and not subdivided. Electrical nodes located on the periphery of the sensor layer determine the impact location by impedance tomography.
|