H.P. Shelby Destroyer

A first-of-its-kind foam disc blaster that's powerful enough to shoot long distances and capable of adapting to close quarters for indoor combat.

Electrical Engineering Industrial Design Mechanical Engineering Prototyping QA & Testing Software Development UX & UI Design
Shelby Destroyer rendering shown in front of mobile app

H.P. Shelby Manufacturing is an entrepreneurial toy company co-founded by David and Henry Pisor that specializes in bringing high-end foam disc blasters to market that are built to last.

The founders, a father/son duo from Chicago, set out on a mission to develop a foam ammo blaster that could withstand friendly competitive battles and do-away with the frustrations so many players experienced with the current products on the market. H.P. Shelby joined forces with i3 to develop the ultimate battle blaster.

Client

H.P. Shelby Manufacturing

Project Type

Consumer, Internet of Things, Physical

Design Challenge

Building a Blaster for Real Life Gamers

As an adult in America, you probably are familiar with super-soakers and foam blaster toys. Summertime warfare games has been a childhood pastime for decades and brands like Hasbro have been steadily producing blasters for kids and adult fans alike for a number of years.  H.P Shelby founders, David and Henry Pisor were among this group of blaster fanatics and they enjoyed the challenge and tactile experience of a real-life battle over video games. 

However, their desire to engage in truly competitive play left them, along with many others, frustrated by the options on the market. Issues such as constantly replacing batteries, jamming, poor accuracy, and ammo loading headaches led the father/son duo to say “enough is enough.” They set out to improve the playing experience and founded an iconic toy company in the process. i3 Product Development has been their ally in developing the blaster built to outlast and outblast.

MISSION

  • Improve accuracy
  • Better battery-life
  • Customizable power
  • Eliminate jammed ammo

i3’s challenge was to build a one-of-a-kind blaster that could vastly improve the playing experience. It needed to provide a quick and easy way to reload ammo, deliver superior accuracy, and be durable enough to withstand the heat of the battle. All of this while also ensuring that the blaster can be used safely indoors and out. 

 

Approach

A Tactical Approach to Research & Development

Eager to elevate their long-standing family tradition, Henry & David began the extensive research and development process, and collaborated with i3 to build a more accurate, rugged, and authentic toy blaster. This research and testing helped determine which ammo type to use, how to propel the ammo at the desired speeds, and how to maintain a high level of accuracy.

Once the fundamentals of the blaster were proven, i3’s multi-disciplinary team brought the blaster to life. Industrial design and mechanical engineering worked to build H.P. Shelby’s vision around the basics of the firing mechanism, and the electrical engineering team developed a circuit network and code to power multiple motors, sensors, and receive user inputs. The product team designed the battery pack to be removable and charge quickly so players can quickly swap the battery out during the height of a battle. 

To further expand the product’s reach, the software team developed a Bluetooth app that allows users to fully customize their blaster and connect with a network of other players for scoring, leaderboards, and team play coordination.

Disc gun prototype and mobile app shown on a table
Solution

A Blaster Ready to Destroy All Rivals

The Shelby Destroyer was created to be mechanically superior to anything on the market.  This foam disc blaster has outstanding power and speed and excels in distance and accuracy. With two firing modes, a high-capacity magazine, and a powerful lithium-ion battery, players have the flexibility to engage in a tactical game or bombard their opponents with a relentless onslaught of foam. Groups can easily split into teams, which can be designated by setting the LED rail-lighting colors for the blaster from the mobile app. 

While technically a toy, this foam disc blaster’s performance is anything but toy-like. The Shelby Manufacturing team is dedicated to building an entire ecosystem, a “Shelby Force” of gamers & dedicated playing spaces where players can participate in bracket-style tournaments. Whatever challenge is in store, i3 is looking forward to continuing to expand H.P. Shelby’s lineup and developing new exciting features for their mobile app.

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