As technology gets integrated into things that are widely used today, it's high time that it extends its reach to gun safety. Especially now that President Obama has made an executive action calling for an increased research in the field of smart guns, its safety has been highlighted as of late. The technology isn't exactly new, relatively, as there have been guns that featured smart locks via the grip itself, fingerprint and even an RFID chip. However, the past decades have borne fruit to more advanced technology, and now the world has a new smart gun lock called the Indentilock.
The Identilock is a biometric gun lock that requires a fingerprint match before it unlocks itself to expose the gun's trigger. The overall process only takes about a fraction of a second, allowing nearly instantaneous access during emergencies and quick-response actions.
The Identilock is attached to the trigger of a handgun. It's equipped with a fingerprint scanner, and it comes with an LED indicator to inform users that their fingerprint has been verified. It also features a robust sensor that's compliant with the FBI IAFIS standards. Of course, since Identilock is an electronic device, it needs to run on batteries. According to reports, it can last for six months of operation, and it's also rechargeable via micro-USB should it run out of batteries. However, should the battery run dry and if there is a dire need to use the firearm, the Identilock features a key override mechanism that allows users to unlock the device via a key.
The smart gun lock was conceived by Omer Kiyani, who also happens to be a victim of an unsecured firearm. Kiyani says that while the Identilock would seem appealing to the law enforcement community, it's designed for a gun that a family might keep at home for protection. The smart gun lock is now up for pre-orders for US$319, which isn't too steep a price to pay considering that it can eliminate the chances of gun accidents to a degree.
