Metal detectors are great at picking up on metal objects such as guns, but as we have seen in the past, sometimes it’s just not enough because if someone really wants to, they’ll figure out a way to sneak guns past the detectors. However Athena Security, an AI company based in San Francisco, thinks they might have the solution.
The company has developed an AI camera system that they claim can recognize guns in security camera videos. In addition to being able to detect and recognize guns, the system will also be able to alert police to the presence of an active shooter, which will hopefully improve upon response time in which there is a chance that injuries or casualties might be reduced.
The Wood High School in Warminster, PA will be one of the testers of the technology. According to Gary Zimmaro, President of Archbishop Wood High School, “The feeling of safety is palpable on campus knowing that we have the best weapon detection security camera system in the world watching over our children every second of the day. In addition to providing an excellent education, we have a duty and responsibility to keep our students safe.”
Gun-detection technology such as the one developed by Athena isn’t new. Previously there have been technologies developed which can identify gunshots and pinpoint the direction, but we suppose having additional layers of security can never be a bad thing.