Technology takes a shot at gun safety

The American Senate failed to pass new gun control restrictions in June. In the aftermath of a series of 1,000 mass shootings in 1,260 days, four bills were proposed to quash gun violence. There were amendments to strengthen background checks and to inhibit suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms. But all these bills fell short of the required votes needed. Barack Obama defined America’s situation clearly in December 2015 after the San Bernardino attack; “We have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world.”

While the Republican and Democratic struggle over the American constitutional right to keep and bear arms endures, the advances in technology have presented some solutions for gun safety in the meantime.

In marginally related news, Apple has replaced their revolver emoji with a water pistol…*pause for thought*

But, despite Apple’s efforts, gun violence still remains a controversial issue that needs addressing, and these technology innovators have come up with a few ideas…

IDENTILOCK: Peace of mind. Every time.
Designed to fit securely to a variety of gun models, the IDENTILOCK by Sentinl, is a biometric firearm lock, with the industry’s most reliable fingerprint technology. It fits over the trigger to ensure no accidental deployment, which is essential as from 2005-2010, almost 3,800 people in the US died from unintentional shootings. Though whilst it ensures safety, while locked, it is designed to allow speedy access to the loaded firearm.

Constructed with high end impact resistant polymer, the device inhibits tampering, so that the user can rest assured that they will be the only one able to fire the weapon. For ‘peace of mind, every time’ they want to shoot.

TITAN: Built strong. Built to last. Built to serve.
Approved by California’s Department of Justice, and having earned two US patents for originality and uniqueness, Titan Security introduces the TITAN Gun Safe Pistol Vault. Made from military specification alloy steel, the safe is robust and high quality. Even its locking mechanism is designed according to military guidelines.

Able to be mounted under a desk, bed or even in the car, the safe ensures, whatever the environment, that no one can access the weapon other than the user. This prevents accidents from occurring, for example, if a child were to find and play with the weapon. Unlike IDENTILOCK’s biometric lock, the TITAN vault is accessible via a combination. If the weapon inside were then secured with IDENTILOCK, this could provide an extra layer of safety. Speed is essential with these applications, while they are designed to keep the weapon secure, they need to allow the user to access the weapon as quickly as possible in the case of an emergency.

ZØRE X: Own your gun.
A patented cartridge to lock your firearm, sound familiar to IDENTILOCK? Don’t jump the gun. Founded by a group of Isreali Special Forces, this technology has been designed in an environment where guns are actually required for self-defense.

‘Safes are not always accessible, and are hard to operate in the dark. Locks can be difficult to operate. Smart guns are simply unreliable. […] Unlike smart guns, ZØRE doesn’t change your gun at all,’ the ZØRE website explains.

What makes ZØRE X unique, is that it is the first lock that connects you to your gun. In combination with the ZØRE app, this technology enables not only secure, safe and fast access, but also notifies the user of any activity when they’re not carrying the gun. Using Bluetooth and also the ZØRE BRIDGE (a Bluetooth-to-WiFi router), ZØRE communicates with the ZØRE app, so you know if your gun is being tampered with.

In addition to this, the app also has training exercises, so that the user can train themselves to unlock the device in the most fast and efficient way, to reduce the time it takes from reaching for the gun, to unlocking it, as ZØRE say, ‘Nothing beats practice.’

In light of the new Texas gun control law that allows concealed guns on campus, and in the midst of the recent mass shootings, the necessity for gun safety is paramount.

In lieu of gun control restrictions, these technology companies are stepping up to make weapons safer, reduce accidents from unintentional shootings, and to ensure that only the gun owner is able to operate the weapon.

As the Second Amendment stands, Americans have the right to keep and bear arms. But with great firepower, comes great responsibility, and they also have a duty to take measures to ensure the safe use of these weapons.

Author: Daisy Stapley-Bunten