‘Smart Gun’ Make its Debut to the Public
The world’s first “smart gun” prevents unauthorized people, such as kids and criminals, from firing it.
Americans are increasingly concerned about gun safety and want to reduce the number of gun-related deaths. Smart guns are becoming more popular in the United States. Despite their growing interest, much work still needs to be done. If at the very least to ensure they are reliable and safe enough to use.
New Jersey has progressed toward enacting the first law requiring manufacturers to make “smart” firearms. To aide efforts to boost innovative gun development. This is important because it could contribute to the development of safer guns.
There is also a possibility of a California smart gun law that would require manufacturers to include “safety manufacturing” requirements on their guns. If this law is successful, it will likely be the beginning of a trend that will ultimately make smart guns more accessible to consumers.
Life-saving Smart Guns
Gun-related accidents and deaths are a significant public health concern in the U.S. Unintentional shootings are the leading cause of death among children and teenagers.
Children accidentally fire their parents’ guns, teens gain access to family members or police officers’ guns, and teens commit suicide with firearms. A smart gun can help prevent these tragic events, helping children and adults.
Several companies are developing “smart” firearms that use RFID technology to authenticate authorized users before allowing them to fire them. The iGun, for example, uses a low-frequency RFID chip that activates the weapon with a fingertip.
The World’s First Biometric Smart Gun
Gun-related accidents and deaths are a significant public health concern in the U.S. Impromptu shootings are the main cause of death among children and teenagers.
The technology uses a combination of fingerprint, facial recognition, and radio frequency identification (RFID) to identify the owner. It also requires a PIN pad to be embedded in the grip, which locks or unlocks the weapon when the user enters a pin.
Whether or not this technology will be commercially available is still uncertain, but it could have an enormous social benefit in reducing deaths and injuries. If the technology is reliable and attractive enough to mandate usage, it may save thousands of lives each year.
In a survey published by In the Morning Consult, nearly half of the adults said they would be OK with using a smart gun, and 56 percent of gun owners supported it. The public overall was split down the middle, with some supportive of regulated legalization to prioritize safety and others supportive of unregulated legalization that would prioritize economic freedom.
The smart biometric gun is a major step in the right direction, but other technology types could be incorporated to make the weapon more secure. Fingerprint technology is one option, but much research is needed to perfect this type of security. Other technologies might include RFID chips, which constantly track the weapon’s location.
Technological innovations are needed as the United States suffers from a recurrent problem of gun-related violence and death. In addition, various states are implementing intelligent gun laws, which could encourage the development and adoption of these safe guns.
