In response to the increasing incidents of shooting in the United States, a group of engineers with expertise in biometrics and ballistics has developed a solution. Biofire, a US-based company, has introduced “smart guns” that utilize biometric identification to limit firing to authorized individuals.
Biofire, as reported by Bloomberg, was founded by 26-year-old Kai Kloepfer, who began working on the development of this handgun at the age of 15. The company is currently accepting pre-orders and plans to deliver the product by early next year. Kloepfer hopes that the new 9mm handgun with advanced technology will help reduce accidental firing incidents, particularly those involving children, and also lower the rate of suicides in the United States.
“The founder told Bloomberg that although he is not from Silicon Valley, he doesn’t believe technology can solve every problem. However, he does believe that America has a distinct ability to address complex socio-political issues through technology.”
There have been debates and disagreements over the viability of smart guns due to concerns about their quality. While attempts have been made to develop smart guns in recent times, they have lacked vitality and have only been equipped with a few sensors compared to a regular handgun.
The unique aspect that distinguishes the Biofire Smart Gun from other smart guns is its inclusion of both fingerprint and facial recognition technology. The gun features a fingerprint sensor on the grip and a facial recognition sensor on the rear of the weapon.
Kai Kloepfer, the founder of Biofire, stated to The Washington Post, “We do not assert that the Biofire Smart Gun will eliminate all instances of firearm misuse. However, we are confident that this tool can assist in preventing some firearm suicides, accidents, and injuries.”
The Biofire smart gun’s official website states that the firearm will automatically lock itself when it is no longer held by its user. The website claims that the gun can only be fired by authorized individuals, thus eliminating the risk of the gun causing any accidental harm in the hands of unauthorized individuals, including children or criminals. Furthermore, the gun features a lightning-fast biometric unlocking system that instantly unlocks the gun when it is picked up.
According to the company’s website, Biofire is supported by several tech industry heavyweights, including Google, Intel, and NASA, as well as the Army Futures Command.
