There are smart phones and smart cars, but one company is blowing those out of the water by launching the world’s first “smart rifle.”
Rising up in spite of Washington’s incessant gun control debate is TrackingPoint, created by a start-up Austin, Texas gun company. The gun is the first precision guided firearm.
Although the rifle was just released to the public today, there was already an extensive waiting list for the rifle. The $22,000 price tag may seem a little steep, but considering the innovative technology the rifle uses, it’s not surprising.
The shooter can look through the scope’s three-dimensional color graphic display, locking onto the target with a laser by merely pushing a button located next to the trigger. When the shooter pulls the trigger the rifle won’t necessarily shoot. The gun will calculate numerous outside variables such as wind, curvature of the earth and the actual distance to the target. Once all of the factors have been calculated and the rifle has been properly positioned at the acquired target, the weapon will fire. The rifle can take aim at a target that is up to 500 yards away.
TrackingPoint’s credentials don’t just end there. The rifle also has a ballistics computer and WiFi, enabling the shooter to send photos and videos that the gun can take while shooting. These videos, which include audio, can be uploaded to YouTube or Facebook.
In order to access these advanced function features, the owner of the rifle must put a password on the scope. The password protection allows the rifle to tag and track targets and operate at a long range; without a password the rifle can still be used simply as a normal firearm.
Not all gun owners think the TrackingPoint rifle is an exciting new toy.
“Where we have mental health issues, where we have children that are disassociated from society early on, when we have terrorists who have political cards to play, we have to restrict weapons that make them more efficient in terrorizing the population,” Chris Frandsen, a West Point graduate told NPR.
TrackingPoint firearms will be sold directly through the company to individual buyers, not through gun dealers. This way the company says that it will be able to get to know and vet their customers.
