So we have smartphones, smartwatches, smart TVs, smart everything, but how about a smart gun? It would definitely pair nicely with a smart bullet, wouldn’t it? Well as it turns out there are reports which claims that the US military is currently looking to equip its soldiers with smart rifles. These rifles are built by a startup company called TrackingPoint, with each gun estimated to have cost the military around $10,000 to $27,000 each. Guns alone are pretty expensive but what makes these bad boys cost even more? Well for starters they are “smart” as they come equipped with a Linux-based computer which helps the scope and sensors calculate and adjust for a variety of factors, such as weather and ground inclinations.
With all those factors calculated and accounted for, all the shooter has to do is aim at their target and position the firearm according to how the computer tells them to, and fire. At this point in time it seems that the firearms are being used as a trial to determine how ordinary shooters fare against trained marksmen who will not have the advantage of computers to help them aim and shoot. According to TrackingPoint, if it goes well, the military might consider arming their troops with it and might even share the spotlight with DARPA’s laser-equipped sniper scopes in the future. While we’re all for arming our troops with superior firepower, we’d hate to think what would happen if this weapon fell into the wrong hands.
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