Researchers demonstrate smart gun prototype

Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology moved a step closer to their goal of creating a "smart gun" that can be fired only by its owner, showing off a working prototype at a firing range. The gun relies on biometric sensors in the grip and trigger that can track a gun owner's hand size and strength. The NJIT team, which is working with Australian weapons-maker Metal Storm (which we assume is unrelated to the European headbangers of the same name), claims the prototype identifies gun owners with 90% accuracy.

[Curt fiedler @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Hmm.... I misunderstood what this product was from the story head...

What we really need is a gun that can only be fired by smart PEOPLE, or better yet, a gun that is smarter than its wielder and can say "no".

Or even better, a gun that doesn't fire at all... less lawyers involved... :P

-umijin

[Guttrhead @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

I saw some videos from metal storm a couple of years back. They use bullets packed in tubes one after another and an electric shock sets of the explosives between them. This gave insanely high firing rates. You could get like 5 shots out of a handgun before you got any recoil. They also showed these ground mounted things that did something like 600 rounds a minute.

[harry K @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

hmmm.... hypothetical situation.....I'm at home its around 5am or so a burgular is in my home in the same room I am in armed with a gun I reach for my "smartgun" and try to shoot him and it doesn't because my grip strength isn't the same I guess you are sorta screwed then

[Jeremy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

90% accuracy. Great. So you've got a 1 in 10 chance that, when you really need it, it won't recognize you and the criminal wins. No thanks.

[Joe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Jeremy,

I would think that the 10% that is not accurate means it fires for unauthorized people 10% of the time - not 10% of the time it doesn't fire for the owner.

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

The NYT recently did a story about how old-time NYPD cops still don't trust automatic pistols, and rely on their revolvers, even though auto's have been standard for over 20 years now. How long do you think it would take for them to adopt a 'smartgun' even though this is a prototype, and that 90% rate would have to be more like 99.9% before they could even attempt to sell it.

[Wesley @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

I'm a big fan of new technology but I don't want a gun that will disallow access if it decides it doesn't think I'm me. If I need to use a gun I want it to work 100% of the time. I don't want to wait for my gun to recognize me if a thief with a weapon is in my bedroom. I'm also bad about letting my cell phone battery die. I'm guessing it would be a bad situation if the battery in your gun were dead.

[Jon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

There's another high-tech gadget that prevents guns from being used by anyone other than their owner, and they're much cheaper and don't require modification to an existing firearm. It's called a gun lock. If I had kids, I would certainly lock up any guns I had in the house, and it doesn't hurt that it could also prevent you from getting ripped off while you're at work if you keep your firearms in a locked box or a gun safe.

[Choiski @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

90% is fine on your O' Chem final; that scores you an 'A.' Otherwise, I think our men in blue and weekend hobbyists would prefer a better percentage.

[Dan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Just remember, the NJ law explicitly exempts law-enforcement personnel from having to use so-called 'smart gun' technology. If it's not good enough for the cops then it's not good enough for civilians, and frankly, I don't want to deal with a battery powered lockout in a 'you bet your life' situation.

[n8 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Roughly one out of every five police officers shot in the United States (while stopping a crime) is shot with their own weapon or that of their partner. Police are behind developing this technology, even if it's not quite ready for prime time.

Handgun locks don't really help anyone. They aren't used regularly for the most vulnerable guns: handguns used for self-protection. As a result, gun owners are even more susceptible to being victims of their own weapons than police officers. All gun owners should be supporting this technology, even if it's not 100% just yet.