An improved dart and TU Delft research hit the bullseye for professional Dutch darts players

A dart that is less sensitive to player errors and is therefore almost 50% more accurate than a conventional dart. 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.

Dart research

On Tuesday, 18 April, the professional darts players not only tested the precision of the new dart, they also gained insight into their own way of throwing. TU Delft's research focused on the arm movement of the players when throwing the dart and the flight path of the dart after the moment of release. Using these measurements, the researchers compared the throwing techniques between amateur and professional darts players and between the individual professional players. They analysed the repeatability of the throws and its effect on the scoring precision. After today, the results of the measurements will be used to further develop the measurement setups, the dart robot and the new dart. The findings could lead to personalised training and increased advantages for professional darts players.