Analysis of two groups of plane infantry targets as sets of geometric primitives

Abstract

A comparison of two groups of plane shooting targets (PSTs) characterizing the shooter-silhouette in different observation and rifle-firing positions was the starting point for this study. Selected infantry targets are used for shooting training in the Russian Federation and in the Swiss Confederation. The comparison results of two target groups (five PSTs in each of them) showed a significant similarity of their geometric shapes. To explain this fact, a targets design system (TDS) was developed. The TDS is based on attributing a certain number of simple geometric shapes – geometric primitives (GP). In our case, the number of GPs was equal to ten (five polygons for Russian and five polygons for Swiss targets). The TDS enabled building a human-like target silhouette. If two sides of two adjoining GPs or their parts become common for them, then such GPs can be combined into one common geometric figure whose area is equal to the sum of the two GPs. The TDS was further transformed into two isomorphic graphs. Their adjacency matrix (AM) was obtained. The AM matrices for the Russian PSTs and the Swiss PSTs were the same. To improve the estimation of the area and the coordinates of the target centroid, a matrix modification of Bourke’s formulas were proposed. The geometric areas for the Russian and Swiss PSTs and the location of their centroids were refined and compared. GNU Octave, GeoGebra and Mathcad were used as mathematical software for computer calculations and for graphic visualization.