My name is Fabien, and computers have been part of my life since I was very young. I typed my first lines of code in BASIC on an Amstrad. Then came DOS on old NCR machines, then every step of Microsoft’s evolution, which I followed from the start and fed on.
- AmstradFirst steps in BASIC: the discovery.
- DOS on old NCR machinesCommand lines, patience, tinkering.
- The Microsoft adventureFollowed from the start, version after version.
- SME managementA degree, then 10 years of experience running SMEs day to day.
- BPOToday, business process outsourcing for companies.
- Power PlatformPL certified, then the world of Power Apps, Dataverse and Power Automate.
- Green BeltDescribing a process is my job.
Let me say it right away: I’m not a developer at all and I have no skills in that field. My job is business: I hold a degree in SME management and spent 10 years running SMEs. I now work in BPO, business process outsourcing, where I design solutions with the Power Platform. And above all, thanks to my Green Belt certification, I know how to describe a process. You’ll see that this detail changed everything.
🕹️ Arcade, bars and OSB sawdust
In my personal life, I’m passionate about arcade and bar games. During Covid-19, I built my first pincab (a virtual pinball machine). I’m now on the third version, with ever more quality.
Then darts got hold of me. I was a big fan of a very popular Bluetooth electronic dartboard (you can probably guess which one 😉), and wore out two of its models. Finally, I discovered another piece of software, for camera detection, in its basic version, on PC, with three low-cost cameras… and I really got hooked.
I’m not rich, far from it. Complete, expensive and complex systems aren’t for me. So I did it the DIY way:
And it works!
🎯 Why FunnyDarts?
The latest version of that software has taken a big leap forward. But it isn’t what I’m after: it’s too “pro” for me. I don’t want a competition. I want to have fun with friends after a long day: games one after another, simple rules, laughs, and a loser who pays the bill.
The aim was never to do better than the others, but to make something more fun, between mates.
🤖 And where does AI come in?
So I got out my competition keyboard and described my ideas, the way I describe a process at work.
Perplexity first gave me the broad outlines. Then Claude absolutely blew me away! I would describe a game, its rules and what I wanted to see on screen from my sofa, 2 metres from the board. The games came to life, then we tested them as a family and fine-tuned them together.
Yes, that’s also part of moving with the times. And yes, I used water 💧: AI uses it too, I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
📷 And now, my own detection
The first versions of FunnyDarts temporarily relied on another piece of software to spot the darts. To stay free, avoid any licensing issues and be able to support venues open to the public, FunnyDarts now has its own detection engine (version 1.2): the same low-cost cameras, millimetre-precise calibration, and only open-source software.
🎁 For everyone, free of charge
I’m sharing all of this with you. FunnyDarts, in its basic Offline version, is free, for recreational use, and it will stay that way. I develop it in my free time, with no promise of support, but with a lot of pleasure. If you have a game idea, a bug to report, or just a photo of your evening, write to me: it will really make my day.
Have fun everyone, and may the best dart win!Fabien