'Smart Gun' technology eyed vs US gun violence

Fans of James Bond and Metal Gear Solid will be familiar with "smart guns" that only fire in the right hands. Various researchers and personalized weapon makers have been working to perfect this technology for years, but recent US clamor over gun violence may accelerate its development.

 

According to CNN, researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology have spent over a decade on a gun that recognizes the wielder’s grip. The grip contains sensors —similar to a laptop touchpad— that measure the pressure applied by the hand on the gun. They also measure the size and shape of the hand. Hand patterns and proximity sensors

 

“If a child tries to grab the gun, their hand geometry is actually going to be smaller,” said Michael Recce, Associate Professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. “So they’re not going to touch the sensors, and they're not going to be able to fire the gun.”

 

Recce is confident criminals would not be able to fire a stolen grip-recognizing gun.

 

A variation of the smart gun is one which is already being sold in Europe and Asia. This one uses radio frequency technology in tandem with a special watch and a PIN. Developed by the company Armatix, this gun can only be used by a person wearing the watch.

 

“Anybody who picks up the handgun, whether it’s a child or it’s actively stolen, they can’t activate the watch,” said president and CEO of Armatix USA, Belinda Padilla.

 

Robert McNamara, an Irish entrepreneur, founded Triggersmart – a company that also uses radio frequency technology in their weapons. These guns are programmed to recognize a chip which can be placed in a ring, bracelet, or even implanted in the owner’s hand. The guns deactivate in the absence of their respective chip. US gov't drive vs gun violence

 

Though effective and relatively cheap, personalized weapons are not available in many countries, including the United States. This could all change, however, as Obama recently mentioned smart guns in his 23-point plan to reduce gun violence.

 

Smart-gun makers claim their products can prevent tragedies brought about by gun violence. However, Lawrence Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, is not as confident.

 

“The firearms were accessible to Adam Lanza,” said Keane, using last year’s Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings as an example. “They should not have been. If (Mr. Lanza) had one that had this sort of authorized user recognition onboard the firearm, presumably he would’ve had access to that.” Is the technology reliable?

 

While Keane isn’t totally against personalized weapons, he believes the technology is currently unreliable and may even make guns more of a danger.

 

“It can actually encourage people to leave loaded firearms accessible, relying upon the technology which can fail at the most inopportune time,” he explained.

 

Keane isn’t the smart gun’s only critic. The NRA has also expressed concerns about this fledgling technology.

 

Personalized gunmakers admit the smart gun isn’t the ultimate solution to gun violence. They do, however, realize it is an important step in the right direction.

 

“Personalized handguns and personalized technology will save lives of many people and children,” to quote Padilla. — TJD, GMA News