electronic pells

[kelly powell]

that would be a good way to find and define the effectivness of differant armor to....

[Mac Thamhais]

so you would have so-to-say a consensus calibration?

Exactly! For the most part, whether by accident or by design, thats pretty much what the SCA ends up being anyways. It just that now the consensus remains localized, with some groups or regions having a higher consensus of force levels than others. We establish to newer fighters, and amongst ourselves, what is or is not a telling blow primarily by adhering to the local traditions of the area in which we live, and these traditions are (at least currently) entirely subjective from one group to another. The trouble arises when the traditions in one area are out of whack with those in another. This is seen most obviously in interkingdom wars and such like.

At least this way, if it were feasible to build such a device to begin with, you could establish a consensus across the SCA as a whole. The best thing about such a device is that it is not subjective, it is a measuring tool that cannot get caught up in the heat of the moment, and cannot become emotionally involved in the outcome of your calibration. It will judge your force levels at the same standard that it judges mine and, in turn, the same standard that it judges duke sir so-and-so three kingdoms across the way. It can calculate a median average of force levels, exclusive of regional traditions or emotional bias. Then let those who fight below that established level rise to meet it, and let those who fight at "too high" a level tone things down a little, thus placing everyone in the same chapter if not on the same page.

[DietrichUhl]

Been there, done that.

The electronic pell I built has 10 capacitive sensors on it (4 on each side, two in the front) with LEDs in them.

I built it with several modes.

Target practice mode. When you hit a sensor, it lights up for 1 second.

Speed drill. A random target is illuminated. It stays illuminated until it gets hit. Repeat for 100 random targets. Display the time taken to hit all 100 targets.

Reaction drill. A random target is illuminated. It stays illuminated for a random time, or until it gets hit. Repeat for 100 random targets. Display the percentage of targets that were hit while illuminated. This mode has 5 "speeds", which set the minimum amount of time the targets stay illuminated (1/8s, 1/4s, 1/2s, 3/4s, 1s).

I drug it out to last October Crown. Gemini said I should put it to music and call it "Stickjock Hero".

- Scott

Very cool do you think it was helpful? Did it help in training or was it just a neat game?

-Dietrich

[DietrichUhl]

so you would have so-to-say a consensus calibration?

Exactly! For the most part, whether by accident or by design, thats pretty much what the SCA ends up being anyways. It just that now the consensus remains localized, with some groups or regions having a higher consensus of force levels than others. We establish to newer fighters, and amongst ourselves, what is or is not a telling blow primarily by adhering to the local traditions of the area in which we live, and these traditions are (at least currently) entirely subjective from one group to another. The trouble arises when the traditions in one area are out of whack with those in another. This is seen most obviously in interkingdom wars and such like.

At least this way, if it were feasible to build such a device to begin with, you could establish a consensus across the SCA as a whole. The best thing about such a device is that it is not subjective, it is a measuring tool that cannot get caught up in the heat of the moment, and cannot become emotionally involved in the outcome of your calibration. It will judge your force levels at the same standard that it judges mine and, in turn, the same standard that it judges duke sir so-and-so three kingdoms across the way. It can calculate a median average of force levels, exclusive of regional traditions or emotional bias. Then let those who fight below that established level rise to meet it, and let those who fight at "too high" a level tone things down a little, thus placing everyone in the same chapter if not on the same page.

Except your calibrating how well you hit a standing non-moving pell.
While I think the system should ignore crappy shots it for me I don't think it has much more value for calibration than the the stick and bowling ball system from years ago.

I really want to know if playing the hit the light before it turns off or working you through your shot patterns with the system forcing you to speed up is of use on the fighting field. On paper it seems like it would.

On the field my opponent will be the only decider of if the shot was good regardless of how well I throw against a pell.

Dietrich

[Mac Thamhais]

Except your calibrating how well you hit a standing non-moving pell.
While I think the system should ignore crappy shots it for me I don't think it has much more value for calibration than the the stick and bowling ball system from years ago.

I really want to know if playing the hit the light before it turns off or working you through your shot patterns with the system forcing you to speed up is of use on the fighting field. On paper it seems like it would.

On the field my opponent will be the only decider of if the shot was good regardless of how well I throw against a pell.

Dietrich

I to think that the speed training would be beneficial, but I wouldn't be so quick to discount the force calibration as well.

Granted, we will all concede that hitting a pell is different from hitting a living opponent, but at least the electronic pell could establish something that I don't think the SCA has known at any point in recent memory: a society wide base line. Even the old bowling ball system had its merits, it was sound in theory and, administered correctly, could be just as effective now as it had the potential to be then, its just that in actual practice poor targeting or even deliberate misuse skewed the results. While the same problems could also be present with the electronic system, I think they would be easier to overcome.

Accurately targeting a man sized/shaped pell would be easier than hitting a bowling ball on a stick, and whereas if you hit the bowling ball above or below its horizontal plane and altered the distance that it traveled, these electronic devices would register the impact pretty consistently anywhere on the designated target area.

Misuse, as in trying to hit the bowling ball from the bottom or with a part of the sword not normally used for a telling blow, just to see how far you can MAKE the bowling ball fly is less dramatic with this system. Nothing flies off, and at least in the initial testing and calibration phase, nothing would even have to light up or make a noise. Data could be recorded internally to be examined at a later time, so that there is no carnival temptation to prove what a manly man you are by sending the pell into orbit. Like everything else we do in the SCA, the honor system comes into play. Each test combatant should use the device to demonstrate what they feel is a NORMAL, ACCEPTABLE telling blow, without trying to bash the pell into the ground just to prove how hard they can hit.

If administered correctly (and I admit that this is key) we could train our "muscle memory" to know what a telling blow feels like, at least from the perspective of the thrower. As always, it will still be up to our opponent to say whether or not our shots are counted good, but the electronic pell (or even the old bowling ball system IF USED CORRECTLY) can at least level the baseline.