Shooter’s Technology LLC, makers of the Orion Scoring System, is proud to announce Athena, its new product line of affordable electronic scoring targets (EST). Models include:
NC100: an electronic scoring target for 10m air rifle, 10m air pistol, and 5m BB Gun competitive shooting.
DoW100: a touch screen athlete monitor for indoor shooting.
MM100: a spectator display module.
Erik Anderson Ph.D., the Chief Architect at Shooter’s Technology LLC explains the importance of Athena. “The future of competitive shooting is with ESTs. This is clear. Up until today, though, the ESTs on the market have had one undeniable flaw – they are far too expensive for local clubs, schools, and junior rifle programs. Athena is a game-changer for the shooting sports. For the first time, entry- and intermediate-level athletes will be able to enjoy the benefits of immediate scoring and spectator appeal made possible by an affordable EST.”
The Athena 10m and 5m system will be offered to customers at a $1400 per firing point package, a third of the price of the next lowest EST system on the market. This includes both the NC100 target and DoW100 athlete monitor, and is complete with target lift and back stop. Customers may additionally purchase the MM100 spectator display module for $150 (TV sold separately) and target stands for three-position air rifle, BB Gun, or Air Pistol for $300 each.
Athena will support two versions. The “Club” version supports multiple firing points with each firing point requiring an EST Target and Monitor. The Club version requires each range to be equipped with an isolated WIFI network and a server that manages the network communications. The “At Home” version is intended for individual athletes training independently. This version only requires an EST Target. The athlete can choose to view the shots either from an EST Monitor or from any web browser. This version runs off of a home’s existing WIFI network with Internet access.
“Athena was made possible, including its affordable price point, by good old-fashioned American ingenuity. From the start, we designed the system to be affordable, accurate, and reliable. We did this by relying on commercial off-the-shelf parts where possible; never trying to reinvent the wheel,” Anderson explains. “Take, for example, the system’s network. While many EST manufacturers will make you purchase proprietary networking cables and equipment, Athena simply uses WIFI.”
Athena represents many firsts for the EST market.
- First Internet of Things enabled EST system.
- First EST for BB Gun.
- First 10m EST system with red and green safety lights.
- First EST system with instant score verification.
- First 10m Air Gun EST designed and manufactured in the United States.
To score, the NC100 target uses an innovative camera and CPU system. The algorithm is the same one used internally in the Orion Scoring System. Anderson explains it this way, “In Orion, paper targets are digitized using a scanner, the resulting digital image is then scored using computer vision techniques on a Windows based PC. The NC100 uses the same idea. But instead of using a scanner, we attached a camera to each target that is connected locally to an independent CPU for scoring.”
Presales for Athena are available immediately. Interested customers may contact Shooter’s Technology sales at +1 703.596.0099 or support@shootertech.net for a price quote. Existing licensed Orion Scoring System customers may take advantage of a $100 discount per firing point for all presales. Production units for the Club version are expected to ship October 2020. The At-Home version for the individual athlete will be available at a later date.
For more information on the Athena product launch, please watch the product announcement on Shooter’s Technology’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/orionscoringsystem. A YouTube live event will be held Wednesday, June 24th at 12:00 EST, with the recording available immediately following the event.
Shooter’s Technology LLC is the maker of the Orion Scoring System and Athena Electronic Scoring Targets. Founded in 2009, Shooter’s Technology focuses on developing affordable technology products for the competitive shooting sports. The Orion Scoring System is in use in nearly 1400 ranges and conducts over 15,000 matches a year.