Remote controlled animal dart gun

An apparatus for remote controlled projection of darts into animals, comprising:

• (a) a stable base;
• (b) a moveable element mounted with the stable base and configured to allow motion in at least one dimension;
• (c) a dart projection subsystem mounted with the moveable element, configured to project a dart along a predictable trajectory, and a dart mounted therein, wherein the dart has a distal tip configured to penetrate the skin of an animal and where the dart is without a tether to the apparatus, wherein the dart projection subsystem comprises a source of compressed gas operatively connected to one or more barrels configured to eject a dart when compressed gas is applied;
• (d) a video capture device mounted with the stable base or the moveable element, configured to collect one or more video images;
• (e) a communications subsystem, configured to transmit video information from the video capture device to a remote user, and to accept direction from the remote user to move the moveable element and to fire the dart projection subsystem.

A method of injecting a substance into a target animal, comprising:

• (a) supplying an apparatus comprising:
• (a1) a stable base;
• (a2) a moveable element mounted with the stable base and configured to allow motion in at least one dimension;
• (a3) a dart projection subsystem mounted with the moveable element, configured to project a dart along a predictable trajectory, and a dart mounted therein, wherein the dart has a distal tip configured to penetrate the skin of an animal and wherein the dart is without a tether to the apparatus;
• (a4) a video capture device mounted with the stable base or the moveable element, configured to collect one or more video images;
• (a5) a communications subsystem, configured to transmit video information from the video capture device to a remote user, and to accept direction from the remote user to move the moveable element and to fire the dart projection subsystem;
• (b) monitoring the video information transmitted by the communications subsystem to determine when a desired target animal is within an effective range of the dart projection subsystem;
• (c) when a desired target animal is within the effective range, then moving the moveable element according to direction from a user remote from the dart projection subsystem such that a predicted trajectory of a dart projected from the dart projection subsystem will impact the target animal;
• (d) firing the dart projection subsystem according to direction from a user remote from the dart projection subsystem and thereby projecting the dart into the target animal.