Guides · Automatic scoring · 9 min read
Automatic darts scoring explained
Automatic darts scoring works out where each dart landed and enters the score for you. For steel-tip that usually means two to four cameras beside an ordinary bristle board, and plain USB webcams with free software are enough at home.
In short
- Cameras measure each dart from the side and cross their lines at the tip.
- Three webcams spaced 120° apart suit most players.
- About 1 mm accurate, so only darts on a wire need a check.
- Any regulation bristle board works, no special board needed.
The options
What are the ways to score darts automatically?
Steel-tip darts get scored by cameras, by sensors, or by an app where you enter each visit yourself. Search for an auto scoring dartboard and you mostly find electronic soft-tip boards, which are a different game.
- Camera systemsOne to four cameras beside the board film it from the side and combine their views into one position. They read the bristle board you already own.
- Sensor systemsSome steel-tip systems put a frame of light sensors just in front of the board, others place sensors behind it.
- Electronic soft-tip boardsContacts behind each segment score by themselves, but only for plastic tips on a board made for them.
- Scoring appsYou type in each visit or tap each dart. Nothing is detected, but the app still subtracts, suggests checkouts and keeps your statistics.
Under the hood
How does camera darts scoring work?
The system measures the board once, then watches for new darts. Each camera turns a dart into a line across the board, and the tip sits where the lines cross.
- CalibrateThe software finds the bull, the rings and the wires, and straightens each tilted picture into a head-on view. It also corrects wide-angle lens distortion and works out where the 20 is.
- Spot a new dartEach camera compares its picture with the last still one. A dart is a small change that stays put, while a hand is big and slow.
- Fit the axisOnce the picture is still, a straight line is fitted along the barrel. The point itself is often hidden, but the axis runs through it.
- Cross the linesThe axes are projected onto the board and cross where the point went in. A line that clearly disagrees, from a shadow or a flight, is dropped.
- Check close callsThe position is matched to the map of the segments. If the point sits closer to a wire than the measuring error, a careful system asks you.
Cameras
How many cameras do you need for automatic scoring?
Two cameras are the minimum for a real measurement, and three suit most players best. One view only gives the line the point lies on, and every extra view helps when darts hide each other.
How each setup copes with tight groups
Spread them evenly. Lines that cross at a wide angle pin the point down, while two cameras facing each other give almost parallel lines. The camera setup guide shows the layout and distances.
Accuracy
How accurate is automatic darts scoring?
A well set up camera system places a dart to within about a millimetre. That settles every dart except the ones pressed right against a wire.
- 8 mminside width of the treble and double rings
- 12.7 mmdiameter of the bullseye
- 170 mmbull centre to the outer double wire
- ±0.5 mmSridu’s calibration on its webcam test setup
- Darts on the wireUnder WDF rules a dart scores on the side of the wire where the point enters. A human marker would have to lean in too.
- What throws it offA knocked camera, changing light, hard shadows or a webcam that keeps adjusting itself. Recalibrate and lock the picture.
- Bounce-outsThey leave nothing to measure and score nothing anyway. Enter a miss if you want the dart in your darts average.
Every ring and wire measurement is in the dartboard dimensions guide.
Shopping list
What hardware do you need, and what does it cost?
You need a steel-tip board, two to four cameras, even light and a computer. Webcam darts scoring is the cheapest way in, because plain USB webcams cost little.
- A steel-tip board at regulation height, see how to hang a dartboard
- 2 to 4 USB webcams with 720p or better
- Firm mounts 30 to 50 cm from the board: a ring, brackets or arms (see build your own camera dartboard)
- Even light without hard shadows, ideally an LED ring light
- A laptop or PC next to the board, built-in graphics are plenty
- One USB port per camera, as a 720p webcam sends about 40 to 65 Mbit/s
What it costs
Check the running costs. Ask whether the software needs a subscription or an account, whether it scores without internet, and where the pictures are processed.
The board
Which dartboard works best with camera scoring?
Any regulation steel-tip bristle board works, so you don’t need a special board for cameras. The dartboard buying guide explains what makes a good one.
What helps the cameras
- Official dimensions and the standard number order
- Standard colours, no designs printed over the segments
- Thin wires for fewer bounce-outs and fewer darts on a wire
- Room around the board, also inside a cabinet
- A new calibration after rotating the board, see dartboard care
Hang it right first. Cameras measure the board where it hangs. The bull centre sits 173 cm above the floor and the oche is 237 cm from the board face.
Privacy
Where do the camera pictures go?
With local processing, the pictures never leave your home. Cameras aimed at a board also catch part of the room and the people in it, so it is worth asking.
Local processing
Best for privacy
- Pictures stay on your computer or the kit
- At most scores go online, and only if you play online
Processing on a server
- Pictures or cut-outs of them are uploaded
- Find out what is stored, and for how long
You stay in control. A web page only gets your cameras after you allow it, and you can take that back in the site settings. A live view of your board for an online opponent should be something you switch on yourself.
Compare
Automatic darts scoring methods compared
Webcams with free software cost the least and work on any steel-tip board. Kits and sensor systems cost more but come ready to fit.
| Webcams + software | Camera kit | Sensor system | Scoring app | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hands-free | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Your own steel-tip board | Yes | Yes | Depends on the system | Yes |
| What you need | 2 to 4 USB webcams, light, a computer | The kit, sometimes a computer | The sensor unit | A phone, tablet or PC |
| Setup | Mount the cameras, automatic calibration | Fit the ring, automatic calibration | Fit the unit | None |
| Cost | Low | Higher | Higher | Free or low |
| Tight groups | Fine with 3 or more cameras | Fine with 3 or more cameras | Depends on the design | No issue |
| Where the pictures go | Your computer or a server, depending on the software | The kit or a server | No pictures | No pictures |
In practice
How Sridu scores darts automatically
Sridu is a browser app, free for private use, that turns one to four ordinary USB webcams into a darts camera system. It runs in Chrome or Edge, needs no account and works offline once it has loaded.
- Mount and plug inWebcams 30 to 50 cm from the board, each on its own USB port, with the board light on.
- Press Auto setupAllow camera access. Sridu picks the dart cameras, finds the board and measures about 1500 points per camera.
- Check the picturesThe 20 at the top, the lines on the wires, then tap Looks right. Lock the picture settings under Image.
- ThrowClear darts count at once. A dart that may well be in the next field turns orange, and one tap confirms or corrects it.
No cameras yet? Tap your darts in any of the 41 game modes, or start the demo, which runs the detection on three simulated cameras. The camera scoring page and the system requirements go into the details.
Sources: WDF Playing and Tournament Rules (rev. 20), dartboard specification, setup and scoring rules
FAQ
Questions about automatic scoring
Can one camera score darts automatically?
Yes, with limits. One camera sees the line of the dart but not where along that line the point is, so the software has to estimate it and you confirm darts often. With two or more cameras the point is measured instead.
Does the angle of the dart matter?
No. The cameras measure the axis of the dart, and the axis always runs through the point in the board. Crossing the axes finds the point whether the dart hangs straight or droops.
Can I use my phone or laptop camera?
For scoring, not really. A scoring camera has to be fixed beside the board, look at it from the side and stay put after calibration. A phone is more useful as a second screen at the oche.
Do I need a powerful PC?
No gaming PC is needed. In Sridu’s measurements a laptop from 2017 handles two cameras, and three want a computer from the last few years. The speed of a single processor core matters more than the graphics card.
Does automatic scoring work with soft-tip darts?
Camera systems are built for steel-tip darts on a bristle board. Electronic soft-tip boards already score by themselves through contacts behind the segments, so they don’t need cameras.
Does camera scoring work with a dartboard cabinet?
Yes, as long as the cameras fit. Each one sits 30 to 50 cm from the board and has to see the whole double ring, so open the doors fully and check that the sides don’t block a view.
Guides
Related guides
Try automatic darts scoring for free
Open Sridu in Chrome or Edge, plug in your webcams and press Auto setup. No cameras yet? Start the demo, or play by tapping your darts.