TU Delft researchers may have developed a groundbreaking dart that can significantly improve the performance of elite-level darts players. The new dart is designed using knowledge from aerodynamics and flight mechanics and aims to give players more control over their throw. Five top Dutch darts players, known as the TOTO Dart Kings, visited TU Delft on Tuesday, 18 April. They tried out the new dart and took part in scientific research, including an analysis of their throwing technique. The players were impressed with the facilities and saw the potential of both the research and the redesigned dart to improve their performance and take the sport to new heights.
Pioneering dart
TU Delft researchers in the field of aerospace engineering discovered that the aerodynamic and design principles they apply for aircrafts and missiles also have the potential to improve the performance of darts. To analyse the trajectory of the dart, they developed a dart robot that throws the dart consistently, while measuring release position, speed, trajectory and position on the board. A dart’s sensitivity can be studied by simulating small errors in the throw. This research has led to the establishment of Rocket Darts, a spin-off of TU Delft and part of the Aerospace Innovation Hub. The company is developing a new dart with improvements in aerodynamics, weight distribution and interaction on the board. This makes the darts more precise and gives players more control over their throw.
TOTO Dart Kings
The TOTO Dart Kings team consists of the five best darts players in the Netherlands: Raymond van Barneveld, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Michael van Gerwen, Danny Noppert and Vincent van der Voort. As the only professional darts team in the Netherlands, they are actively collecting performance data to improve their decisions during matches. The team also focuses on the mental aspect of the sport and supports each other to improve in all areas. TOTO fully supports the sport of darts in the Netherlands, as the namesake of the TOTO Dart Kings team and as a partner of the Dutch Darts Association and main sponsor of the TOTO Dutch Darts Open. This support contributes to the further development of the sport, e.g. by adding experts to the team. A nutrition coach, biohacker, chiropractor and osteopath, among others, have been part of the team since its foundation in 2022. TU Delft’s scientific research makes an important contribution to the professionalisation of the sport of darts. Read more here.
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