Biofire Tech, based in Colorado, is taking orders for a smart pistol with facial-recognition technology, the latest advancement in personalized weaponry that can only be shot by confirmed users.
However, as a sign of the long and difficult path ahead for smart firearms, a prototype failed to fire twice when demonstrated for Reuters this week. According to company founder and CEO Kai Kloepfer, the software and electronics have been thoroughly tested, and the failure is attributable to the machine gun, which was built from pre-production and prototype parts.
Throughout the demonstration, the weapon shot effectively and the facial-recognition technology appeared to work. A fingerprint reader can also be used to activate Biofire’s gun, which is one of the numerous smart gun features aimed to prevent accidental shootings by children, reduce suicides, protect police from gun grabs, and render lost and stolen guns worthless.
According to Biofire, the first consumer-ready versions of the 9mm handgun might be distributed to pre-order clients as soon as the fourth quarter of this year, with the standard $1,499 model likely available by the second quarter of 2024.
This might make it the first commercially available smart pistol in the United States since the Armatix was briefly offered in 2014. LodeStar Works and Free State Firearms are two additional American startups seeking to bring a smart pistol to market.
Challenges and Potential Impact on Gun Safety of Smart Pistol Technology
Kloepfer fired a round without incident during a demonstration at Biofire headquarters in Broomfield, Colorado. Then another man, an illegal user, attempted to shoot but was unable to do so because the gun could not recognize his face or fingerprint, as intended by the safety function.
Kloepfer then returned to shoot it again. At that time, the gun unexpectedly clicked twice, albeit it did fire on subsequent trigger pulls. Then another prototype was brought in, and the weapon worked as expected. Many gun enthusiasts are dubious of smart gun technology, fearing it may fail when a weapon is needed for self-defense at the drop of a hat.
“I’ve not just built a product, but an entire company around: How do we build an extremely reliable product that will always unlock for you anytime that you pick it up, and will never unlock when your kid finds it,” Kloepfer said.