Paintball is a sport in which players fire projectiles, known as paintballs, at each other. Paintballs typically have a glycerin shell and a gelatin interior. The shell breaks upon impact, which releases the gelatin interior without considerable harm to the player. The gelatin interior leaves a colored mark, which indicates that the player has been hit.
As with any sport, practice increases a player's skill. The cost of paintballs, however, can make target practice expensive. That is, since paintballs typically break upon impact, each practice shot requires a new paintball. With paintballs running at $15 per container at the low end, the cost of target practice can add up quickly.
Systems were therefore developed specifically for paintball target practice. These systems do not use actual paintballs, but rather use simulated paintballs, which are solid and which therefore do not break upon impact. Solid balls, however, do not “fly” the same way that real paintballs do and, thus, are not an accurate predictor as to how a real paintball will behave under similar circumstances (e.g., distance to target and weather conditions, such as wind, rain, etc.). Existing paintball target practice systems are therefore not always helpful when is comes to increasing player's aim.
Existing paintball target practice systems have other drawbacks as well. For example, the projectiles used in such system can be a safety hazard. That is, the projectiles are relatively hard and can cause injury. Also, existing paintball target practice systems are relatively expensive, making target practice difficult for some.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds