What is Flightless?

Flightless is an innovative, projectile-free darts experience designed for safe, indoor entertainment. It’s a complete end-to-end system combining hardware and software to bring the fun of darts anywhere - no sharp tips, no holes in walls!

Our setup includes:

TDS (Throwing Detection System): A faux dart embedded with motion-tracking sensors.

SDR (Smart Dartboard Ring): Track the darts position in space.

RLD (Reactive Light Dartboard): Light up the darts landing position.

The Flightless App: Allows players to enjoy multiple dart games digitally.

Together, these components simulate a realistic darts game experience without any physical impact - perfect for offices, renters, and other “no projectile” environments.

How did we come up with it?

The idea for Flightless was born after discovering a strict “no projectiles” rule in our university building. Determined to keep the spirit of darts alive, we set out to design a smart, safe, and fun alternative using our background in computer science and embedded systems.

Flightless began as part of the Systems Design Project (SDP) at the University of Edinburgh, where we proudly won the award for Best Project. Encouraged by the recognition, our team decided to keep improving the prototype - making it smaller, sleeker, and more reliable.

Who are we?

We’re a team of three final-year Computer Science students from the University of Edinburgh, passionate about combining creativity with technology. Our shared goal is to make interactive gaming safer and more accessible through smart design.

Current Progress

We’re currently refining our prototype - focusing on miniaturizing the faux dart’s internal components and improving sensor accuracy. PCBWay’s sponsorship would be invaluable in helping us produce high-quality custom PCBs to integrate our sensors and microcontrollers efficiently, improving both performance and design reliability.

• Projectile
• Sensor Fusion
• PCB
• Darts