The gun uses facial recognition and fingerprint technology.
Biofire Technologies, a Colorado-based technology company, is preparing to ship out the first biometric "smart gun" to hit the market in the United States. According to NBC News, the gun uses facial recognition and fingerprint technology to unlock the gun to people who are authorized to use it. It is powered by a rechargeable, removable, high-endurance lithium-ion battery, which can last for months with average use, as per the company.
According to NBC News, Biofire has announced that it is shipping its first 9 mm handguns by the end of the month. It said that its first batch of smart guns will go to investors, friends and others in the firm's inner circle. In the following months, the first paid customers will receive their orders, it added.
The smart gun is designed to serve a very specific purpose: a weapon that can't be used by anyone unauthorized, particularly children. The company previously stated that the gun uses biometric data that never leaves the firearm, which has no onboard WiFi, Bluetooth, or GPS.
Designed for home defence, the $1,499 gun enables firearm owners to defend themselves while preventing unauthorized access and misuse, according to the company. It is available in right-handed and left-handed models, and with customizable grip-size options.
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"The Biofire Smart Gun was designed specifically for real gun owners who want a quality home defense firearm that cannot be used by children or criminals," Mike Corbett, a Biofire advisor and former member of SEAL Team 6, said last year, as per CBS News.
"Biofire's approach is totally novel: we've applied high-precision engineering principles to make a meaningful impact on preventable firearm deaths among children. No one had tried that before. As a result, Biofire is now offering the most technologically advanced consumer firearm the industry's ever seen," said Kai Kloepfer, CEO and Founder of Biofire.
"This is a new era in firearm safety driven by ambition and optimism, motivated by the idea that we can in fact help save people's lives," he added.
Notably, according to the company, the biometric technology won't work if users' faces and hands are completely covered. The smart gun meets safety requirements for consumer electronics, as well as handgun safety standards that some US states have established, the company said.