According to a report by Reuters, Biofire Tech, which is based in Colorado, is receiving many requests for a smart gun that is activated through facial recognition technology. This is the latest advancement in personal firearms that can only be fired by authorized individuals.
During this week’s demonstration of the company’s prototype, it failed to fire two times. According to Kia Klopfer, the company founder and CEO, the software and electronics underwent comprehensive testing. However, the malfunction was due to the machine gun which had been manufactured prior to the prototype’s creation.
The facial recognition technology and weapon both underwent successful tests. The output language code is EN-US.
Fingerprint gun
The Biofire has a fingerprint reader as one of its smart gun features, which aims to prevent accidental shootings, lower suicide rates, and safeguard police officers from having their firearms confiscated, making stolen and lost guns ineffective.
According to the report, the 9mm pistol’s first versions for consumers will be shipped to pre-order customers in the last quarter of this year at a potential cost of $1,499.
The trial could result in BiofireTech becoming the first company to sell smart guns commercially in the US since 2014 when Armatix briefly sold them. Two other US companies, LodeStar Works and Free State Firearms, are also attempting to bring smart guns to the market.
Trust problem
According to the report, during a test of the gun at Beaufire’s headquarters, Klopfer fired a shot successfully. However, an individual who was not authorized attempted to fire the gun but could not do so because the gun did not recognize their face or fingerprint.
The Klopfer pistol fired twice, but experienced mechanical trigger issues rather than technology malfunctions. A replacement prototype was then successfully tested, according to the report.
Gun enthusiasts are skeptical about smart gun technology as they fear it may not function properly in emergency situations when a self-defense weapon is required urgently.
Klopfer said, “I not only create a product, but I also establish an entire company focused on producing a dependable product that operates flawlessly when you require it and consistently fails to work when your child attempts to tamper with it.”
