Publications

The goal of the Smart Gun Technology project is to eliminate the capability of an unauthorized user form firing a law officer`s firearm by implementing user-recognizing-and-authorizing (or {open_quotes}smart{close_quotes}) surety technologies. This project was funded by the National Institute of Justice. This report lists the findings and results of the project`s three primary objectives. First, to find and document the requirements for a smart firearm technology that law enforcement officers will value. Second, to investigate, evaluate, and prioritize technologies that meet the requirements for a law enforcement officer`s smart firearm. Third, to demonstrate and document the most promising technology`s usefulness in models of a smart firearm.

The Smart Gun Technology Project has a goal to eliminate the capability of an unauthorized user from firing a law enforcement officer`s firearm by implementing {open_quote}smart{close_quote} technologies. Smart technologies are those that can in some manner identify an officer. This report will identify, describe, and grade various technologies as compared to the requirements that were obtained from officers. This report does not make a final recommendation for a smart gun technology, nor does it give the complete design of a smart gun system.

A goal among many law enforcement and security professionals, and the National Institute of Justice, is to decrease the risk that an officer or security guard may encounter. One risk that officers confront is unpredictable persons who sometimes try to gain control of the officer`s firearm. The addition of user-recognizing-and-authorizing technologies to a firearm could eliminate the capability of an unauthorized user from firing an officer`s firearm. Sandia National Laboratories has been active in the research and development of nuclear security systems that include access and use control technologies. Sandia is being sponsored by the National Institute of Justice to perform a research and development project to determine the feasibility of a user authorized firearm, or {open_quotes}smart gun.{close_quotes} The focus group for the research is law enforcement officers because of the number of firearm take aways that have occurred in the past and the severe use requirements placed on their firearms. A comprehensive look at the problem of weapon take aways in the United States was conducted using information available from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement sources. An investigation into the end user requirements for smart gun technologies has been completed. During the remainder of the project, the user requirements are being transformed into engineering requirements. which will then be used to evaluate numerous technologies that could be used in a smart gun. Demonstration models will be made of the most promising technologies. Other potential applications are remote enabling and disabling of firearms, transportation of prisoners by corrections officers, military use in operations other than war, and use by private citizens.

Goal of the Smart Gun Technology project is to eliminate the capability of an unauthorized user from firing a law enforcement officer`s firearm by implementing user-recognizing-and-authorizing surety technologies. This project is funded by the National Institute of Justice. This document reports the projects first objective: to find and document the requirements for a user-recognizing-and-authorizing firearm technology that law enforcement officers will value. This report details the problem of firearm takeaways in law enforcement, the methodology used to develop the law enforcement officers` requirements, and the requirements themselves.

Law enforcement officers work each day with individuals who can become aggressive and violent. Among the worst scenarios, which occur each year and often raise national media attention, an officer has his handgun taken away and used against him. As many as 12 officers per year are killed with their own gun. This problem can be addressed through the integration of modern sensors with control electronics to provide authorized user firearms for law enforcement and even recreational uses. A considerable benefit to law enforcement agencies, as well as society as a whole, would be gained by the application of recommended Smart Gun Technologies (SGT) as a method of limiting the use of firearms to authorized individuals. Sandia National Laboratory has been actively involved in the research and design of technologically sophisticated surety devices for weapons for the DOE and DOD. This experience is now being applied to criminal justice problems by transferring these technologies to commercial industry. In the SGT project Sandia is developing the user requirements that would limit a firearms use to its owner and/or authorized users. Various technologies that are capable of meeting the requirements are being investigated, these range from biometrics identification to radio-controlled devices. Research is presently underway to investigate which technologies represent the best solutions to the problem. Proof of concept demonstration models are being built for the most promising SGT with the intent of technology transfer. Different solutions are recommended for the possible applications: law enforcement, military, and commercial (personal protection/recreational) use.