Darts that are nearly 50% more accurate tested, is this a new potential darting revolution?

The national press in Holland was rounded up at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) on Tuesday for a groundbreaking presentation. A dart was launched that is almost 50 per cent more accurate potentially than darts currently on the market.

During the day, Michael van Gerwen, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Danny Noppert, Raymond van Barneveld and Vincent van der Voort were allowed to try out the new dart. Moreover, they took part in a scientific study, during which their throwing style was fully analysed.

Delft aerospace engineering researchers discovered that the aerodynamic and design principles they use for aircraft and rockets also have the potential to improve the performance of darts.

To analyse the trajectory of the dart, they developed a dart robot that consistently throws the dart while measuring its release position, speed, flight path and position on the board. By simulating small errors in the throw, the sensitivity of a dart can be studied.

This research has led to the creation 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. As a result, the darts achieve higher precision and darters gain more control over their throws.

''Nice and innovative, but it felt very weird and uncomfortable,'' was Van Gerwen's first reaction to AD.nl. ''You have to give it a fair chance. We should be proud of this bit of professionalisation of the sport.''

Van der Voort was the first of the five players to throw a 180 score with the new darts. ''Yes yes, at the second turn already'', he smiled. Van der Voort found it an interesting day in Delft.

''How is the grip? How is the length of the point? They also analyse your throw. Are you letting go too late? What is the angle of your arm? Is your arm going down too early? I thought I was throwing my dart straight, but it first goes down, then up and then dives down again. I had never seen that before.''

Van Duijvenbode is also positive about the invention. ''I think it's good that people like that are getting involved and we shouldn't be negative right away. Darters are stubborn people, always thinking they know everything better. But these are really smart people and not people who think they are smart. On the other hand: darts is not just science, of course," says the current number eleven in the world.

TU Delft previously proved their worth by helping cyclist Tom Dumoulin get a faster suit, which he used to win the Giro d'Italia in 2017. For the 2022 Winter Olympics, the institute worked with skeleton star Kimberley Bos, who managed to win a bronze medal partly thanks to this support.