Nerf target

 <designed Dec 2017>

 Goal: make a target to practice shooting with a nerf gun.

Introduction

A nerf gun is a toy gun with rubber bullets.

See: https://nerf.hasbro.com/en-ca

Principle

Target contains a piezo element. When target is hit, piezo element generates a voltage. This voltage is measured. If the voltage is high enough it is seen as a hit.

Nerf target

We built six wooden targets, each containing one neopixel LED and one piezo unit, to practise shooting at.

Randomly one LED lights up in red, when that target is hit it turns green for 5 seconds. Then the next target randomly lights up.

 View of the back side of one target: piezo and one neopixel LED:

View of the nano-Arduino and the extra components (diodes and resistors)

Controls: Arduino nano.

Neo pixel: Single capacitor and single resistor on the PCB close to the arduino are for the neopixel controls.

Extra board with resistors and diodes to protect Arduino analog inputs from the piezo inputs.

Parts

Circuit

Circuit:

• Per piezo: 3 diodes to protect the ADC input and one resistor
• Neo pixels are placed in a string. Only first one is drawn in figure below. Capacitor of 1uF between +5V and GND is not drawn.

Breadboard overview of the complete overview:

Code

Arduino code