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Hackers can crack the self-aiming rifle to change its target
TrackingPoint's computer-augmented rifle sights, better known as the ShotView targeting system, have set off a wave of controversy and debate since they first debuted in 2014. That debate is about to get even hotter now that security researchers Runa Sandvik and Michael Auger have shown Wired a way to break into the rifle and shut it down or, even worse, change the target to the hacker's choosing.
Shooting a laser-guided rifle made me feel like a robot
By all accounts, I shouldn't have hit the dummy target 300 yards downrange because everything was working against me. For starters, the Las Vegas desert was windy as hell. Factor in that I was shaking thanks to nerves, cold temperatures and the pressure of a camera rolling while I tried something brand-new and you have a recipe for failure. Or should have. While I can barely pull off a headshot in a video game, I nailed one on my first try with TrackingPoint's high-powered, precision-guided rifle. Once the initial wave of "Holy shit!" wore off, something else replaced my elation: I didn't feel I'd earned that bull's-eye because basically all I had to do was pull the trigger. On my way back into Sin City, I couldn't get over just how cold and emotionless that left me feeling.
Welcome to CES, where $50,000 can turn you into a skilled marksman
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-881708{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-881708, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-881708{width:629px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-881708").style.display="none";}catch(e){} What's holding most everyone back from being a talented sharpshooter? Lots of training. But now you don't even need that to hit a target from thousands of feet away thanks to TrackingPoint's Mile Maker sniper rifle. Well, anyone who's rich enough that is. The outfit's targeting this (pun intended? You be the judge!) massive and heavy gun at people with way more money than time: folks like doctors and lawyers who want to go on safari in Africa and come back with a zebra bust for the wall, guaranteed. If you have a spare $49,500 lying around, you could bag practically any trophy too. But doesn't that take away from the art and discipline of shooting? For TrackingPoint's answer to that question, check out our stage interview above.
Watch a sniper nail his target from 500 yards without even 'looking' at it
Smart-weapon company TrackingPoint seems pretty intent to make real-world guns act like the virtual firearms we use for offing video game villains. The latest demo of its ShotView targeting system showcases live video being transmitted from a rifle's scope to a set of off-the-shelf Smith Optics I/O Recon goggles via WiFi, enabling the marksman to hit an explosives-filled pop bottle from 500 yards down-range without even looking at it. While the previous concept clip used Google Glass, a TrackingPoint spokesperson tells us that the Smith goggles don't lag like Google's wearable does in this scenario. Speed might not make a huge difference at the firing range, but, for soldiers in the field, we'd imagine that keeping pace with a mobile target is somewhat important -- especially if they aren't physically looking at it. For a gander at an advanced warfighter's possible arsenal, make sure to peep the video below.
Gun company figures out how to shoot around corners using Google Glass
TrackingPoint is a startup that's building smart weapons, like rifles with targeting scopes that'll turn a rank amateur into a crack sniper. Now, the company is working on ShotView, a system that'll separate the user form the sight entirely, which is what's being demonstrated in this concept video. Pumping live video from the gun to nearby WiFi devices, the company wants smartphone, tablet and Google Glass users to be able to point their weapon around corners and over obstacles, "blind" firing with deadly accuracy. We just hope someone makes the Diane Von Furstenberg frames a mandatory accessory, or future battlefields are going to be sorely lacking in style.
Startup claims the US military is testing its computer-guided 'smart' rifles
Not all soldiers are crack shots, but the U.S. military is reportedly hoping to make that happen -- with a little help from "smart" rifles, that is. According to a startup called TrackingPoint, the military bought six of its precision-guided firearms that can cost between $10,000 to $27,000 each. These pricey rifles come equipped with a Linux computer in the scope and sensors that automatically determine environmental factors such as the weather and ground inclination. Users merely have to tag a target while peering into the scope, and the built-in computer will show them how to position the firearm before they press the trigger. The company's claim came during the SHOT gun show in Vegas, where TrackingPoint is apparently still hanging around after showing off new semi-automatic guided rifles at CES. The units purchased will be used to test if ordinary soldiers can compete against trained marksmen when equipped with superior weapons. If the tests go off as the company says, its products might share the spotlight with DARPA's laser-equipped sniper scopes in the future.
