Biofire: The First Worthwhile "Smart Gun"?
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Note: The New Jersey law that would ban sale of regular guns once "smart guns" were deemed commercially viable is no longer on the books.
0:00 - Introduction
4:12 - Electronic elements
6:50 - User "presence" system
8:30 - Mechanical gun elements
11:11 - User enrollment/setup
15:29 - On the Range
18:14 - Security standards
20:59 - Conclusions
Biofire is a Colorado company that has spent the last 5 years or so developing a biometrically authenticated pistol, using both fingerprint and facial recognition systems. The gun is currently in the prototype/pre-production phase, and they are planning to have production models available around the end of the year.
Obviously, there is a wide skepticism about this sort of technology in firearms, and I shared this skepticism when I first spoke with Biofire. The situations in which biometric ID systems could become a liability seem too numerous to count. What convinced me to give the pistol a closer look was Biofire's explicit focus on a particular target market where the technology fills a very real gap in current options: home defense for those with children or other people regularly in the household. For that situation, one must choose between an array of flawed options - trigger locks, rapid access (hopefully) safes, or keeping a gun separated from its ammunition. The idea of having a gun which can be left loaded and immediately accessible but only usable by a few specific individuals is an appealing one.
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The 10 mm pistol is a staple of wasteland combat
Piper liked that.
Highly reliable and highly available, it has been a staple of wastelander kit since the day the bombs fell. (wearenotliableforanymishapswitholdammunition)
Damn, that's actually really uncanny lol
I knew it looked familiar. I couldn't quite place it.
War, war never changes
Even if this doesn't take off, I guarantee it will be used as a movie prop for years to come. It's got sci-fi space gun written all over it.
Movie companies have already done smart gun props, usually they're just regular pistols with a glowing "hand scanner" looking screen wrapped around the guard, and random little lights scattered across the gun that go from red to green when the user holds onto the grip
Looks like the designer was a big fan of the Fallout games
I don't have a need for a smart gun, but I'll probably still get this (unless the price is truly egregious) for the sci-fi factor alone
My initial thought was Judge Dredd.
I swear I saw it in TimeCop starring Jean Claude (super splits) Van Damme
It would be really cool if it had a round count on it too.
At fist I though this idea seems useless in a home defence situation, which it is. Then I thought about how many accidental/negligent discharges occur due to people not knowing a round is chambered. People thinking they are empty, when they are not causes large percentage of accidents. Some kind of sensor to detect this might be a good idea if the idea is to create a very safe firearm that is difficult to misuse.
Since it's all local, there will be people who jailbreak it and then mod it. It's possible.
Just take the magazine out and check the control holes
This ain't COD. next you be wanting a heart rate sensor
@@alexgrenlie862bruh. Imagine thinking about the future and saying "this ain't CoD" I bet you think a .308 is still more viable than a 6.5, fudd.
I like this gun, it knows its flaws and problems and it knows its strengths and protections. It doesn't try to overstep these boundaries, it doesn't try to play you an ad after a magazine, you literally just pick it up and use it like normal.
Until the soldering loosens after a few recoil impacts and it decides that it's user isn't themselves anymore.
@@JTAmina its unlikely for that to happen as there's no heavy components on the boards and anything connected to the gun would use wires to connect back to the main board. Not only that but this gun wouldn't get that much use since its mainly for home defense or a situations that rarely happen where you only fire a few rounds. I do like the way you're thinking though, its always important to look at things critically especially for guns like these where a problematic component could mean the gun will not fire when you need it to.
@@JTAmina Why do you imagine they wouldn't test how the circuitry interacts with being fired several hundred times?
@@TheHatmanMC Possibly because all of the imperatives in consumer products manufacturing press towards the continual cheapening of every mass-produced good to provide the appearance of constant growth? Sure, the carefully hand-assembled prototype will be tested for thousands of discharges... but when the value engineeres and MBA managers keep demanding ever cheaper production costs, do you think they're going to validate every design change with tens of thousands of dollars of additional testing? "C'mon, we're just changing the screw-retention of the mainboard for an industry standard heated-staking process. Everyone does this and it saves like $.06 per replaced fastener. What could really go wrong? Besides most people aren't going to shoot this thing more than a couple dozen times anyhow. No sense making it more durable than it has to be"
By not requiring an Internet connection to work, and not attempting to do more than it needs to, it avoids the two failings practically every other "smart" device out there. An actually smartly designed smart device, never thought I'd see the day.
That criminals will figure out how to hack, just like our voting machines that shouldn't be connected to the internet.
Yeah, too many companies have corrupted the idea of "smart" devices to mean "connected to a datamining server". There are countless devices that can benefit from computer aided control, but very few that benefit from an internet connection.
That is honestly the most impressive thing about this product, no requiring an internet connection or subscription
Man, imagine a gun that doesn't fire until it has phoned home for the session to deliver its stream of user and usage data. Then it plays an ad after you shot someone.
Depends on right to repair policy. Analog guns can be serviced, this gun can have a bugg.
This is the closest thing to a lockpickinglawer and forgotten weapon collaboration as we'll ever get
Somehow I doubt they want that :) Face id with camera is overridden with a picture. You need fancier stuff for secure stuff
Lmao I’m def subbed to both
@@jepulis6674 it's an IR camera, so you need to heat up your picture)
@@swancrunch no, it's not a far IR camera, but near IR. Has nothing to do with heat. But a picture would have to be printed with colors that look the same under NIR illumination. And it should not be too hard to implement a 3D scanner, if not already done, to also recognize the shape of the face.
@@jepulis6674 a person isn't going to have a picture of you on hand if they're trying to take the gun from you. And they probably won't know how it works anyways. But if it uses an IR camera and laser grid like the Kinect and iPhone use, it would be able to detect depth too and a photo wouldn't work.
Given the intended use, I can see this working fairly well. A home defence weapon that focuses on safety for other residents is something I can see taking off as a good extra bit of caution
Unfortunately I don't think it will ever take off. For some reason the majority of gun enthusiasts I've talked to about this absolutely hate smart guns. Even in the case where they are proven to be more reliable.
@@itwasaliens it’s the “government wants to take away your guns” principle… They think that if this technology takes off, it will be possible for the government to deactivate their guns if they ever want to rebel against the government. (Sigh) these people can be really paranoid at times…
@@itwasaliensprobably due to the fact that anything 'smart' can be hacked, or at the least it's electronics can fail. By all means, if you choose to use this as yoir home defense firearm then hats off too you! That being said, don't question the rest of us who are sticking with more tried and true methods of protection.
@@Cakesadamant I don't think you know how "hacking" works.
@@maxgehtdnixan4913 I don't think you understand how irrelevant you actually are.
Honestly impressed that they developed a decent weapon that is safe for home defense in a family setting that isn't goofy or a peashooter
Ironically, the 'trying to be the next big everything' is a hazard of a lot of technological products, be they engineering or the next big 'killer app'. I don't know why it becomes so strongly fixated in the minds of designers for so many things, kudos to Biofire to realizing the trap that can be. The recognition speed really was impressive. VERY glad that its all stored locally, no wifi. Though I can see somebody exploiting the USB not to break it, but to try and run DOOM on their gun.
Accelerometers to move, trigger to shoot.
"[...] 'trying to be the next big everything' is a hazard of a lot of technological products, be they engineering or the next big 'killer app'. I don't know why it becomes so strongly fixated in the minds of designers for so many things [...]" There's a very specific reason for that on tech industry: It's creation of monopoly on a standard of design. When a tech company comes up with the "big thing", they essentiatly set up a standard by which the entire market will follow, that can be a very wide range which can come from businesses pratice to actual architecture and design of products (for example on the first we have MS-DOS vs DR-DOS, thanks to a very smart move from Microsoft, PCs that were sold came with a license to use MS-DOS whenever they liked, basically, you wouldn't need to buy the operating system, meanwhile DR-DOS was sold separately since Digital Research couldn't get this type of contract worldwide, this is the reason why you can download Windows 10 for free now and also why pretty much every PC software follows the standard design of Office and why Microsoft holds a monopoly operating system [there's Apple, but Mac is only a thing in the USA, outside It's dominated by Microsoft and one of the reasons why It's a nightmare to find compatible software with Mac] and why your PC [if It wasn't Mac] came with a Windows; for the second we've got the monopoly of Intel on processors, thanks to this we've got that every PC follows the same architecture regardless of the who produced the CPU, this is very handy since It allows for inputs producers to base their production lines on a single standard and propose competition [It's more competitive on basic hardware, but It's monopolized on the end of the industry, that gives companies like Intel the power to stabilish price of their products AND the price they will be paying on their suppliers, this is quite literally the heaven of any company, they would need to actively try to ever see their balance on the red]). It pretty much sets an standard in the industry for other companies to follow and that gives a gigantic headstard for who came up with the idea (examples: Microsoft with PCs, Apple with smartphones, UBER with service apps, KZhead with free streaming videos, Intel with processors) since other companies will have to study the competitor and come up with their way of doing without copyright infringement, combine that with the fact that tech industry is extremelly onerous (meaning that It requires credit from banks to work, softwares and and new hardwares can take several years to come to the market makes so that companies won't see any operational income, that's the pratice of "seed sale", "IPO", etc. are so important, It can define if the products will ever see the light of day or not) we've got the perfect storm for an "all or nothing" business pratice since conservative practices (minimal risk, for example try to come up with a very limited product with low development time and cost would solve the onerosity since It would generate income, but these products would aways be on the margin of any serious market since at best would be a niche market, they would never have a market share) will inevitably make companies stay as small a competitor. Not sure how much of all this applies to firearms since I really don't know a whole lot about them, but this is mostly the reason why tech companies do what they do (well, the ones that try to enter the market). Can't wait to see Doom running on this gun, though. If you're interested, Schumpeter goes on this type of economy, can't say much more since I never read all of It, It mostly comes from a professor in my university that studies this theme.
That sounds like a scary version of DOOM if you aren't the one playing.
I play doom on my gun to shoot guns in doom while I shoot my gun to decide of my neighbours doom
@tomisabum, it's so politicians can sit back in their luxury homes, and decide who you can and can't shoot. If you aim the gun at a favored bad guy, they shut it off. If they can turn you're car off, the only thing left is you're self defense. Help me reinforce a concept, Tech-Amish: Today the check engine - light in my truck came on. After a brief inspection, it went off? I was confused, so I went back to the gas tank, and intentionally unscrewed the cap, and left it on sideways. I went back, and surprise, the check engine light is on again! I wonder how many people spent money by sending their cars in for a check-up when all they had to do is screw the cap on in good alignment? The key word is, "analogue". Us Tech Amish folk reinforce analogue component usage in our homes, car's, and guns. I saw a thing the other day where a computer hacker hacked into someone's car, and had all kind of fun with the gadget's. In the near future, if you say something distasteful about a protected species, like pedophiles, someone will intentionally wreck you're car for a racist statement! But with a little elbow grease, and determination, you can build a 68 Camaro with only "out-dated" electronics. All tube guitar amplifiers are the only thing left where you have the option to stay old-school. Soon, they will say tubes are racist, and the only amps will be digital! If you play masculine music, they will hack you're amp!
I'm an electronics technician and have soldered and assembled hardware for various military programs and defense contractors. Biofire approached me about a job proposition last year due to my training and work history, but I didn't reach the final round of interviews because they got some dudes in with decades more experience. Glad to see they managed to get their design into functional market model.
shure
Very cool! Hope you've got a good other job since that one didn't work out.
If it is really functional is yet to be seen I presume.
@@NerdGlassGamingPA For real. One scary thing with Class 3 and Mil Spec hardware is that it's not truly tested until it needs to operate in a true life scenario. That's one of the reasons the quality standard for things like jet engines, satellites, and weapons is so high and uncompromising. They want it spec'd to precise increments and verified, and tested and re-tested over and over again, with many redundancies in between, before they send it into operation where someone's life will hang in the balance.
@@BigStrap Thanks, dude. To stay afloat I usually take temp contracts if I'm between regular jobs. I got something more permanent lately, and it's mostly private sector, so a bit less stress than some of the defense contractors.
That New Jersey law was a perfect example of 'noble intention, terrible legislation'
There's nothing noble about gun controllers
@@markoredano9141well, it's caused good intentions but lack of critical thinking. They do genuinely believe gun control will save lives, even if they're wrong, they genuinely believe that lives will be saved. Saving lives is a noble goal. It's just being done by idiots. If you think saving lives is not a noble goal, go start a fight with a fireman.
@@markoredano9141 it's not "controlling guns", the intent is more "ensuring that the guns people buy are safe". Same reasoning that puts seatbelts in cars and labels on food. Like, the bill *failed* to do this. But it had honest intent.
@@pavarottiaardvark3431 The guns people buy are safe, the people are not safe. Trying to put limits on the guns themselves is idiotic, especially when, as Biofire themselves have stated, this gun does not suit all use cases. The New Jersey law would've forced guns like this to be shoehorned into all applications.
@@liyifennand it should fit all use cases, because the end user is unpredictable. The MAIN selling point of this gun is that a gun-safe is not required. Therefore it becomes a slippery slope. I have teen that's competent enough with electronics that they'd bet that it wouldn't take 10 minutes to bypass this gun's safety, and fire it using it's own hardware, not by fooling it into thinking it's an authorised user, but by hardwiring the trigger to the sear directly. Everything it needs to function is there, it just has an electronic system that scans biometric data to decide whether or not it wants to ALLOW the completion of the circuit. That portion of the circuit will have no say, it will show he's unauthorised, but it WILL shoot when the trigger is pulled, because the trigger is directly actuated - hardwired, and no longer subject to biometric authentication. It's just an e-trigger then, like you'd find on a paintball marker. That is weak security my friend, and it should be regulated into oblivion. So unless this is a sealed unit with potted electronics that cannot be opened/serviced/repaired, it is a bad idea, and if it is, it becomes a disposable gun with planned obsolescence, and nobody wants that...
I had all the usual complaints lined up when I saw another quick video of two retired SEALs shooting some of these, but it looks like they've already thought of and dealt with all of them. At this juncture, the biggest complaint I can think about is that if this takes off, we're going to see a lot of second-rate copies that do have all the usual issues that crop up every time someone tries to make a smart gun - and I feel that's the highest praise one could think of for one.
Warning you are now entering a PvP Zone.
DARK zooone
Good old div 1
Excuse me what happened PvP?
@@Reindeer-ry2lf The hell? This gun isnt for apocalypse scenarios. Prepper-headass take right there. "What if we get emp'd" well shit guess you have a paper weight, and your car is one too. 😂 And yes your significant other can use it if its programmed to them. It supports more than one user. Attention deficit moment, can't pay attention to video.
@@Reindeer-ry2lf I can't even unlock my phone half the time. If I have time to get a sight picture for the camera... What if they're closer than my arm's length. Yeah no thanks. Or what if there's a light drizzle... Maybe arm teachers with these since they're unwilling to admit there's a problem with society.
This gives “out of battery malfunction” a whole new meaning. It would be cool if cycling the action charged the battery.
Alternatively they could put small booster batteries in the mags, that way a fresh mag can charge the internal battery if it's been charged
I think we’re still a couple years away from that, but the potential is exciting
And fires supercharged plasmoids
Small gas turbine in an integrated suppressor
Also make it delay the action that way as well
Looks promising. Could prevent a lot of tragedies with something like that.
*Alec Baldwin liked that
So if there is no link between the trigger and the sear, and the sear is just released electronically, does that mean a software bug could potentially fire the gun by it self?
- cyberpunk theme -
Or let it run full-auto
@@szylajskippy
You should give one of these to ‘The Lockpicking Lawyer’ and see if he can work out a hack or bypass for its security systems. He’s done a few videos on gun safes etc, it’d be right up his alley.
I'm hoping that the solenoid sear can't be activated by putting a neodymium magnet on the side of the gun.
@@faeron8036 I could definitely see that working, but it would likely scramble the electronics and disable the gun
One magnet later….
kzhead.info/sun/faiKf9qyfZeqq6s/bejne.html
I've seen clips of young children using pictures of there parents to unlock face scanning phones.
The design of the gun puts me in mind of the standard side arm from the Doom reboot and also the 10mm from the Fallout series. The identification feature puts me in mind of those used by Judges in the Judge Dredd movie. It really has a movie or video game look to it.
I at first thought of the pistol from Halo. I'd love one in polished aluminum because of that...
@KitsuneRogue same. I thought it looked like the magnum too
I'd say the Dominator from Psycho Pass is probably the closest in terms of design, especially accounting for the camera. Sure, it's pointing the wrong way but a frag is a frag.
i hope it has internet, so it totally cannot be hacked whatsoever
Wait for the day I can say "grenade" and my gun switches to explosives.
Ah I realized why I like it's design so much. Fallout 10mm. Chonker pistol. Really fascinating gun tho, very cool idea, very cool feature, very cool design.
I wonder how hard it will be to repair it if the electronics are damaged? Anyone who's watched Right To Repair videos know how hard some manufacturers make it to fix your own stuff. I hope you can have it repaired at a shop and not just authorized dealers
The part is likely only buyable from manufacturer, its not a conventional gun after all. unless the owner is tech jockey or such then I don't see it being repaired by your everyday joe.😅
This would be a rare situation where that's a good thing since it means if the gun gets stolen the person who stole it will have a much harder time bypassing all the checks
I would imagine they made the mechanical components easy to disassemble. The electronic components I would assume are more concealed tho
The Unity is a compact, .45 caliber, semi-automatic, magazine-fed handgun. Due to its simplicity, inexpensive materials, relatively high fire rate , and 12 round magazine capacity, it is a well sought after and popular pistol in Night City.
And it can also be fitted with a mod that makes all its shots non-lethal….
Honestly this was my first impression. People saying it's like Fallout or Robocop have lost they damn minds 😂
Looks more like the Tamayura than the Unity to be honest.
@@BrowncoatGofAZ Also "Skippy" is available as a free download.
@@inso80 seriously?? I thought you had to buy or find it?
"not only am I going to drop gun law news that might surprise you, I'll even give you a second to confirm it-- hell I'll even give you all the info you need to find it easily." Never change, Ian.
He's a class act.
This is definitely one of those things that I'm glad exists for the cool factor alone. Plus it is a neat option just to have.
Biggest hurdle I think will be that it's a very unproven platform. Hard to stomach being an early adopter when you can buy a Glock for cheap and know it'll go bang if you need it to.
It’s nice to see that they are upfront about it’s intended design use. Saying “we designed it for this specific use case” instead of pushing it as something it’s not says a lot of good about the company
Man that sure was a common fault in the 80s and 90s, lol.
You fall for that?
The designer is a smart guy. I appreciate that he says he wants it to just be one option of many.
@@Renenko Yeah, that's a much better marketing approach than the solid lies I'm used to seeing.
@@mybossisdrunk there's nothing to "fall for", the design makes sense for this use case. It's not trying to be a magical all-in-one super gun for everybody from nightstands to cops to prison guards to military, it's designed to sit on a charger and shoot when authenticated.
This reminded me of the Lawgiver pistol from the Dredd movie. Only that one used DNA authentication and exploded like a grenade if anyone but the authorised Judge attempted to use it.
"Intruder!" Also each bullet had the Judge's DNA trace as an extra safety.
Which would also be very cool, though maybe unnecessarily messy.
@@StressmanFIN too bad those fuckers are all clones created by crypto fascists....
I thought of that too!
Incendiary...
A very interesting piece of technology. I do applaud the company for attempting this - there's so many things that can go wrong and thus can the whole idea for a long time. Not only do they have to nail the authentication down so it works 100% of the time AND doesn't work when it doesn't suppose to, they also have to think through multitude of situations where user error might potentially be blamed on the gun. Not to mention any possibility of jailbreaking it in whatever way. With that being said, no security system is impossible to go through, much like a lock. At first I thought "well, if someone steals the gun and gets some tools out, they'll get it hacked". And yeah, sure they will, but in the same way someone could steal your gun safe and cut it open eventually. I do hope this tech gets vetted and we will see more of it, with smaller electronics and additional features, like forward-facing camera someone mentioned or a holster that charges it for law enforcement, so that cops have an option to have a gun that can't be used against them. And yes, with voice selected high explosive rounds, of course.
Biggest concern would be quality of the electronics. Target just had a bio gun safe recalled. Dang near anyone could open it.
I'm sure the safety system could be broken electrically, but probably not within seconds by an attacker or by a curious small child, which is all that really matters for that use-case. I could see it being useful for some police and prison use in certain situations too, just for preventing someone grabbing it and instantly using it on the carrying officer.
I hope the finger print sensor is high quality and can't be beat with a kid's detective kit lifting off prior prints. Also, the facial recognition..........idk man. They need to be as good as Apple for that to be secure. A cheap facial recognition system can be beat stupid easy.
I agree, but the same is true of a quick access safe, and that's been a lot cheaper solution for me.
Anyway, it's a moot point, because I live in California, and ironically, this gun is not legal to sell here because it is not on the safe handgun roster and cannot be added to the safe handgun roster.
What happens when its defeated electronically, used for a murder, and then presented as evidence that only the owner could have fired the gun?
That standard usb-C just screems "hack me", but that will take time as you said. That facial recognition thing is what I'm worried about. Most phones won't unlock if you have sun glasses for example. If biometrics work 100% in all posible situations than I say it is ok for some application.
I appreciate that there's an easy way to attach to the USB port without looking down the barrel of the gun. Even as a Smart Gun, it's obeying firearm safety.
obeying firearm safety sounds pretty smart to me.
Lol, yeah that could be an issue if you had to dick with a usb-c cable right below the muzzle. Docking station was definitely the way to go, but I think a non-physical terminal, electromagnetic charging solution would make even more sense. Probably saving that for the Gen 2... Gotta leave some features out so that people are forced to upgrade! Wouldn't be a "smart" device without planned obsolescence...
Just wait until Apple comes out with the new "iShoot" smart handgun. It will require you to install a barcode on your temple that is read by the barcode reader below the barrel of the gun. To activate it you will have to "gently" pull the trigger halfway through. It will be an inovative system that allows the gun to tell it is being held by its rightfully purchased owner. Stellar, sleek, and very human design. :)
well, it aint a dumb gun, I'll tell you hwut
@@mfallen6894 a plug is way easier to implement, and trying to add too many features to your first ever product is a good way to miss your planned launch date and run out of money before you're able to manufacture a single production unit
I can see this being incredibly useful for law enforcement.
Yes it will be, because they forgot to mention it can and will be shut off remotely, Im sure the government will be happy to disable yours
@@Mike_Oxard as in the joke about stealing the officer's service weapon won't be relevant in a few years
Thankfully this will never be adopted by law enforcement. Even though it's not connected to the internet doesn't mean that it CAN'T be. And even if it's not it's still hackable, making this gun something that would require 24/7 White Hat Hackers working on potential compromising methods and fixing them before someone with ill intent figures it out. It would be all to easy to stop the guns from working for the time during a "Shootout" where all people with real "dumb" guns would work and all of a sudden my smart gun is green, loaded, cocked, trigger is pulled but not firing. Someone could easily program access from an external source to make these weapons do all kinds of things, making it not authenticate, fire when it's not supposed to, not fire at all, etc. etc.If our Government relied on this, they'd be asking for a cyber attack while being walked out of power with their hands up by people with "dumb" guns. Look at things like the O.MG Cable and the Flipper one/Flipper Zero devices. For a couple hundred bucks, a good amount of coding knowledge and a small amount of time with access to the firearm, any random person could compromise any of these guns. I imagine why this is designed for this specific purpose. The average person looking for a safe way to have a readily accessible and reliable firearm for emergency situations doesn't have to worry about this. A law enforcement agency absolutely would have to worry about it, and until you get to the federal level, I doubt they'd have a clue on the possibilities.
@@Mike_OxardThank you! This is a comment I've been looking for. Everyone's all over the new shiny without stopping to think *what this might mean as a viable technology* California, to go for the nuclear example, would absolutely try to require this on every single handgun.
Are we talking the self-destruct kind?
With the fly-by-wire interface between the trigger and the firing mechanism, my first though is: how easy/hard is it to clean, after firing. ie there are electronics, that wouldn't interact well to CLP (gun cleaner), that would be used to clean the mechanical parts. And unless the electronics areas are air tight from the mechanical, they are going to get carbon on them too and also need to be cleaned. Are those area accessable to the user? Also, is the battery(s) replaceable, for when they eventually stop holding a charge? So many more details I need to know.
I hadn't considered the main use-case being for home defense for people with kids/family, but that makes so much sense. I thought this would be more used by guards/cops to prevent danger of their gun being grabbed at and used. I wonder how much adoption it will see by law enforcement.
What if another officer needs to use the gun in an emergency.
@@janneskoneczny4989 Could possibly have a network of people who can access the department's firearms. Each time the list is updated, the guns, when connected to the department's internet, will update who can access the firearms.
@@doomersnek3878 sounds super complicated. Adding (many) more faces to a face recognition database also slows the system. Would make more sense to use RFID or something for an entire department
It seems to be an expensive gun, i don't know if arming a large quantity of officers with it would be that possible
None whatsoever except in woke cities that call for defunding police because they would love seeing officers die from using this novelty pistol...
This probably has good potential for correctional officers. Some prisons don't allow the officers to carry guns because of the risk that inmates could take it and use it. I look forward to seeing this gun in your future videos.
I'd think it would be pretty good for security in general.
I’m surprised this wasn’t designed around law enforcement specifically.
@@my9thaccount140 my guess is that it's bc the barrier to entry, both in terms of what features you need to have and the thing actually being adopted (individual buying it vs whole department/company adopting it), for this purpose is much lower. then once you've shown it's a viable product you can try to expand
just snap off the guard's middle finger to use it, or wave his photo ID badge at the camera
Great observation, I hadn't thought of that. I just couldn't stop thinking about Judge Dredd.
13:00 Hey, the front sight lights up. Nice touch.
I think the idea is nice and it seems purpose built, wanna know if it ever gets a hold in its target market. And I agree that "dumb" guns will never be replaced completely by smart guns, because of easier maintainability propably also cheaper production cost and definitely nostalgia.
I always wanted my own version of Judge Dredd's Lawgiver, that is pretty cool
Then it's pre-alpha. Lawgiver can change cartridge type and has excellent voice recognition.
Cool technology, eh. No. You have it in your phone. It may work in perfect conditions, but you don’t get to choose the conditions. The judge dread gun litterally takes a DNA sample via blood and instantly compares it to a database every time you pick up the gun.
and where is the unauthorised explode function?
@@cpt.spazmo the government will require that added later. Good luck with the whole “enemies foriegn and domestic” after that.
Hahahah i said the same judge dredds gun hahaha wonder if it talks lmao hahaha be all like “double whammy”
Just want to thank you for mentioning the quirks and it's a prototype. So many KZheadrs getting early access content tend to fail to understand their words have weight and even something as minor as not stating it's still in development can have massive impact on public perception of the end product.
0:08
To me all progress in development of weapons that have since been forgotten are all well worth the effort making them as we make many ideas and compare them to eachother and if production can be streamlined. I like seeing new/old unique things. That's how we get progress, make many versions for testing and modifying before mass production after the initial test group. This looks good, works well, and it teaches the next generation how to go about it. So it's a good idea.
I have the utmost respect for the company undertaking such a tremendous challenge but I think most gun enthusiast (me included) just wont trust this kind of stuff on both sides of the issue, I would not trust it NOT TO FIRE when handled by a non authorized user (lets say a child) so I'd still would take the same safety precautions I'd take with a normal gun, like not leaving it loaded and ready around kids or other people (defeating it's purpose) and in the other hand that implies that it's hard to trust it to work reliably in a scenario where I need it TO FIRE in a self defense situation. I might be wrong and our mindset might change in time but most firearms users I know are very into safety and reliability and I think this fails against both perceptions (even if it's just that, a mere perception).
Honestly, even if you can easily get past the lock, it will always take two things; time and knowledge. That's all it needs. Make it hard enough to be not worth it. And since it's uncommon, no thief or mugger would reasonably know about it
Yea a hardy lock with a decent core on a strong door will keep most out, unless they really want it
the problem is, once this thing hits the market its only a matter of time before a hack comes out. There's nothing easier to steal than something that someone thinks cant be stolen
@@JimTrivial Not the problem and not the purpose of it. A home invader who gets to the gun before the homeowner is not going to instantly be able to use it on the homeowner, A criminal who takes a law enforcements officers weapon will not be able to use it on the officer, A mugger who forces it from a victim can not now use it on them. And it's MAIN purpose have a ready to fire weapon that can't instantly be used by the wrong person.
@@JimTrivial As far as I know from another video, the gun's computer is isolated from the outside, accessible only by a USB port. Sure, you can pre-program a USB stick or something to hack the gun...but that would realistically take a hot second (or minutes even) for the hack to succeed and hack into the gun. That's if the non-owner had such a hack ready in the first place. Given how much time it would take to break the gun security as well as the action of inserting the USB, I'd say the gun is a dud in a fight or a struggle if it's not used by the owner. The legit fingerprint unlock, on the other hand, apparently happens faster than the person can even begin to aim the gun.
@@shaler950 Exactly, people are missing the point here, its not impenetrable, nothing is, not even a 10k mounted in the ground gun safe. but your not going to break into this without alot of fiddling, which means your guns not going to be used aganst you and MOST IMPORTANTLY, considering its the cause of most non intentional gun deaths in the US, your kids not going to grab it and turn your failure to secure a weapon into a tragedy.
I'm a little sad that given the features of this sidearm, you didn't register the gun under the name 'Dredd' The security features this thing has seem to be the pre-cursor to the infamous 'Lawgiver' from Judge Dredd fame.
It needs an explosive protection to stop someone else using it. 🙂
@@coreybass3760 okay hotshot
@@john_barnett That's a spicy meat-a-ball
I think it looks remarkably like the Halo CE pistol....
Reminds me of the "Lost in Space" the movie Laser pistol but I still wouldn't want to bet my life or the lives of my family on it‼️👎‼️
This seems like a very interesting product. It will be exciting to see where this goes in the future. One question I have is how the dock knows that the software is up to date if it's supposed to not be connected to the internet. Surely there has to be some kind of connection to a server somewhere in the system.
My guess would be that you have to hook the dock into your computer to update the software on the dock, then attach the dock to your gun to update the software on the gun.
I like the idea of a home defense gun that doesn't *need* a lock. Something like this is exactly what I want for my bedside firearm. I plan on getting a safe once I have children, and I can't stand the idea of not being able to access protection when things go bump in the night. All guns should be locked if they're not going to be used/at the ready, but this is a nice alternative.
The green authenticated light on front sight post is operationally the best feature. You KNOW when the pistol is ready for you to use. Their setup application and health status appear to be well thought out as well. Very cool.
Problem is gonna come when no matter what you do, the light doesn’t change
@@alexmoore1506 The same way a regular gun can get jammed or misfire if it's not maintained properly. Notice that the console specifically has an issues notification window. The owner just has to check up on the gun's health every now and then.
I thought the light on the sight was kinda slick too. Good for front sight focus and low light use.
@@DawidKov I have to disagree with you on that. There is a big difference between a mechanical malfunction and an electrical/system malfunction. One can be fixed in a matter of seconds and the other is an issue that would require a deeper inspection that typically can’t be fixed in the heat of the moment, which completely defeats the purpose of a defensive firearm.
@@ThatSoonerGuy That's why you keep the gun in its console state so it's health is constantly monitored. The gun won't randomly develop an electrical issue right when you need it too. Yes Murphy's Law exists but if the gun isn't doing anything, then nothing is going to happen. I haven't had ANY electronic device in my life randomly crap itself out without an event causing that device to die. If the system was built to be inside a firearm and tested as such, then the system will do just fine inside of a firearm. As far as mechanical failures, there are still mechanical failures that can happen in a gun that can cause an issue that can't be fixed by field stripping/re-racking the gun. You are thinking waaaayyyyyy too negatively about this. It's a non-issue.
The fact that you referenced both lock picking channels and defcon on forgotten weapons was entirely too satisfying
Ha I was thinking the exact same thing. Coming soon: gun hacker village
@@danmartinell123 lol ohmygosh yes please
Lock picking lawyer here…click on one, two, three is binding..and we’re in
@@SlicesOfPi nah he wouldnt even need to do that with some locks
@@SlicesOfPi I'm sure the LPL could break this thing easily.
I'd be massively surprised if this doesn't have some grave oversight that makes it unfit for its intended purpose. Not because I mistrust Biofire, or anything I saw in the video - but because it's a very early iteration of this technology. But I'm so glad this exists. Someone has to invest the money & time to try these things out to find out the kinks that you only find by making a product and giving it to users, so that the tech can progress. Thank you, Biofire, for throwing yourself into very thorny weeds. I hope it doesn't kill you! (=company go bust)
Since it only needs one of the of the two ways to identify the owner, (like how Ian says in case your hand is dirty and the gun failed to scan your prints, the face scan is enough to turn the safety off), can someone then hold the gun, scan the owner's face, and then use it? He also mentioned that after the gun identifies the owner, it will remain ready to fire as long as the grip scanner basically tells the gun that it's still being held. So as long as anyone doesn't lose the grip and has scanned the owner's face, they can use the gun indefinitely?
I'm not a fan of just about anyone being able to own and carry a gun - or 15 - and especially military-grade types. I AM, however, a really big fan of guns by themselves, from the mechanics of it all to the aesthetic and the shooting experience. I'm a marksman by nature, so I always carried a fondness for ranged weapons. That said, I'll be damned if this isn't a cool fucking gun. It's freaking fascinating.
You have a problem with people having military grade weapons? Soldiers agree!
I can't wait to see someone at DEF CON talk about how they hacked that thing.
USB jailbreak for sure.
Yeah in the middle of you trying to shoot them they stick a USB in your gun and Haxxx it
@Perky Bellsprout No troll. Someone would just do a home break in while the home owner is away and then take the weapon to a hacker to jail break the gun. It will happen
@@reaper_exd7498 this won't happen, there are enough regular pistols around that people can steal without having to worry about taking them to a hacker. Once they realize it's a bio gun they'll probably just toss it in a lake.
@@leeboi222 no. They just remotely disable it using the same back door the government regulated to be installed. “Beep Beep” on a little Arduino board and your gun no longer works.
I know it's designed for home defense, but that generally seems like a good interior gun. I could even see it be good for shooting classes and general gun education since it's so easy to add and remove authorized users.
I'd probably get it as a car gun. Can't be used if it's stolen, easy to activate, etc.
@@St33lStrife Depends on the price of the gun, tbh Im sure its not cheap
@@St33lStrife If your car is stolen, I'd be slightly more worried about that than the gun
Buy a 1911 in 1911 you can still use it in 2023. Buy a phone in 2019 no longer works in 2023, what are the odds of this still "Smartgun" working in five years yet alone in 100 years?
@@simonmaguire5250 That's why I still use a flintlock for home defense /s
while i would never rely on something like this as the only gun. i would use it for a house gun one on the nightstands, one in Livingroom, office, and or kitchen and just leave them there. place a few in the house and match it to the residents. while keeping the normal guns in safe storage. Ever come home to someone in your house they cant turn these against you. and if your normal guns are both secure and concealed they are unlikely to find them. vs going to the store and coming back to find someone in the house with the 870 by the bed.
I'm already imagining thr technical support issues that nobody could anticipate - but godamn this is so freaking cool I hope it does super well!
If this thing had an ammunition count and a shotometer, it would be cool af. But for being the first commercial egun, it seems pretty solid for it's intended purpose. Edit: Definitions. Ammunition count: Displays the total remaining cartridges in the magazine and chamber. Shotometer: For the purpose like an odometer. A sensor or system that records the total number of cartridges the gun has ever fired. This number would be displayed on the weapon or weapon interface.
It definitely would be cool, but as mentioned the company wants to avoid the “trap” of a gun that has feature creep/does everything.
@@TheA1ternative That makes sense and they were smart to keep it to it's core purpose. It may be wishful thinking but I believe ammo counts and shotometers are a practical feature for eguns. Of course, given they are reliable and don't hinder performance etc.
what do you mean by shotometer?
My first thought was the fact it's a fixed barrel system, meaning most of the surface at the top doesn't cycle when the gun does Which immediately makes me think "oh, you could slap an optic there, regardless of even having a large footprint" However with the front sight illuminating green to notify the user it's ready for use, that is sort of an issue. Maybe if the rear sight also lit up? But, that's still trying to make it too "extra", considering the intentions for the design
@@ARockRaider amount of ammo left in the mag I assume. I’ve seen it called a shot counter
I like that it doesn't look stupid. It looks sci-fi in a way that is realistic.
It looks stupid and I absolutely love it
Definitely looks stupid.
It reminds me of the Lawgiver from Dredd '12.
@@Kadeo-ms6qw Youre the one coping and seathing by the looks of it
It looks almost exact to the halo pistol
Dude thanks for not giving a heads up at the beginning of the vid, I had my volume all the way up
"I had my volume on max. Why is it so damn loud?????"
can't wait for the full review when it comes out
To me the funniest part is that the mechanical part malfunctioned more than the tech, very impressive
That’s a good sign. A lot more knowledge and history for that part.
That just means it's a bad gun all around.
@@Adam-su2jj still a prototype.
@@Adam-su2jj it's a prototype and something like that isn't difficult to fix, if that's the only problem then that's pretty good.
@@BrowncoatGofAZ Being a Prototype wont fix the problems with this gun.
The front sight turning green is cool. I was wondering how the user would know if the gun was ready
This way: kzhead.info/sun/aM59fbeDaIira3A/bejne.html
Presumably there is no issue with keeping a full mag and one up the spout. With the gun on the nightstand. The only downside of that from a gunsmithing view is keeping the mainspring cocked for days or weeks on end without the gun being unloaded and the hammer dropped to de-stress the mainspring
@@samrodian919Isnt the whole "compressed springs = bad and wears them" a concept that is debunked as completely false? I get that you are a gunsmith but you could still be wrong. Ive never heard of springs wearing out being compressed. Especially modern day ones. Its the stress of being extended and compressed that causes wear.
@@sebastianriz4703I'm not certain, but I know for a fact that airsoft mags suffer from that issue, even modern ones with high quality springs.
@@yououttapocket Fairly certain modern springs have no issues of degregation while compressed. I assume airsoft mags are made of a weaker spring steel but I never had any issues with my mags. I have a good 5 AR-15 mags fully loaded since 2018 and they aint degrading last I checked. If you have mags from thr 60-70s it will be an issue, or you have mags you use a lot. Which could be why you see airsoft springs wear out quickly.
The American M1911, the original first Smart Gun ever.
I dont know if anyone brought it up yet but i think these would work well with COs that arent allowed to carry weapons in case they get compromised. This would probably work pretty well for that.
Yeah, but it might not be a good idea to dump rounds into a close quarters cement environment with a lot of people. That’s sounds like that would get real bad real quick
Even if a third party couldn’t fire the gun, they could strip the bullets.
If it’s sole purpose is to be a home defense pistol, it needs white light. Either built in to the gun or a rail at the front to attach your own. Hopefully they can include this in future iterations.
I'd say that, or a mini night vision mount on a premium model would be very useful
It feels doable
Not really, You know your own home. If youve got enough night lights running around you'll see the robber before they see you. Lights and Lasers just make you targets in the dark, thats why the military uses NVG when they expect things to be completely dark
Assuming the USB port can provide power, a third party could make one that plugs in right on the front.
For some people, yes. For others, no. To be sold to the tacticool self defense community and hope for any large scale success, yes.
I think Ian and the company nailed the specific use case on the head. A gun able to be not locked in a safe, while maintaining a level of safety where not every person who enters or lives within a home may be mature enough or trained enough to be trusted with an unsecured pistol in the nightstand. Which, I think in all honesty, is the majority of homes whether that's small children, roommates, friends that come over, a maintenance crew for an apartment complex, etc.
Ever hear of a trigger lock? There; I fixed it for you.
@@shootshellz those are mostly useless, there's a certain lawyer that picks locks that has a few videos of him unlocking a few models of trigger locks without the key in seconds (IIRC in one of the videos it took longer to open the trigger lock with the actual key than to pick it). Also you missed the point of this gun: to be ready to fire as soon as you pick it up, not waste time trying to take a lock off the gun.
@@razvann6907 He's an expert lockpicker that buys bottom of the barrel shitty locks to clown on. Just buy a good lock and 99% of people will never be able to pick it.
@@shootshellz Ever heard of watching the video? Trigger locks are mentioned and it's explained why they don't solve the issue.
@@shootshellz Just think next time before saying dumb ignorant shit that has already been covered.
Before releasing, Biofire needs to send one to the LockPickingLawyer to proof the security of the system. If anyone on this planet can find a flaw in the system, it's him.
Now game writers will have an easier way to explain why you can only pick up weapons off of some of your enemies.
MGS did this in the early 2000's. Its a key part of the tech that leads to "not ID tagged" weapons having a black market in the games.
Metal Gear Solid 4 was way ahead of us all.
Hearing the actual purpose of the pistol makes me a much bigger fan of it. It's a very good solution for what it's aiming to do.
"for what it's aiming to do"
@@RafaelMunizYT yes thats what he said, whats up rafael?
@@bakedstreetytsounds like a pun
@@RafaelMunizYT I appear to have hit a target that I did not intend too
@@lego007guym8 no gun intended
I really really like how it's all offline and the computer can be stored separately from the stand/charger. That means you can lock the device in a safe and be sure nobody is gonna sneak some malware in it.
i really like how the offline computer knows it runs an up to datet firmware ;)
@@hanshubert6675 The gun is offline, not the computer, which is connected in Wi-Fi, but only if you decide to do so. Anyways, connecting to the internet won't make malwares magically appears on any computer :v It takes a lot of knowledge, and it means retroengineering the software of the computer, finding any flaw that could exist Since it appears to be running on Android (Google keyboard), I doubt that it's vulnerable in this way. The USB port, on the other hand...
I would say that the usb port could be wired for power only but it seems to be used for enrolment so that's unlikely
Idk if someone is in your home plugging USBs into your smart gun hub I think you might have already failed on your part
@@levanane2413 android software is pretty vulnerable as we can see with their phones and how you can accidentally download malware from the google play store pretty easily. Malware that can affect your whole phone. Should have used apple's software if possible it's been proven countless times to have way better security.
They need to make clip removing smartlocked as well. As far as gun meant to be stored unprotected, nothing prevent naughty kids from dig some fancy shiny ammo from its clip.
I think a big reason why it works so well is due to the fact the gun was designed as a bio authenticated handgun and not a Glock clone with some sensor slapped to the side. Also they made it for a specific purpose. But I could see guards issued these have benefits and lower insurance premiums. I think in the future with miniturisation a quick trigger change in the future but near future a more to grip panel with a battery that can be wirelessly charged They could make it small enough to fit in a trigger unit as if you look at the size of parts in wireless headphones and how thin fingerprint sensors are it could be done.
Biofire....it doesn't just blow the lungs out of the body, it also sets them on fire....
Ian is an excellent ambassador for gun owners. Thank you Ian!
🙄
Really? How is the grouping. Trigger pull? How is the trigger reset? Single or double action? Holster options? 1000-5000 round review. What about cleaning and maintenance? There are still so many questions unanswered.
@@myhusyatemysandwich4591 It's still in development. Have patience.
@@myhusyatemysandwich4591 So the double/single action thing originally threw me for a loop, but after considering it, I'd have to assume that it's a single-action trigger, acting only as an mechanical/electronic sear. I would assume the rest of the action would not be felt in the release. But that's just my assumption from what I've seen here.
@@myhusyatemysandwich4591 forgotten weapons has never been a review channel that has always been a firearms technology channel. This is a good video about firearms technology. Currently developmental technology. The reason Ian makes a good ambassador is because she communicates interesting information very clearly and consumably.
For everybody saying it's cool, think about this: You have to "Log In" everytine you want to use it, there's so many things that can go wrong that.
"Your State Approved Home Defense firearm has been disabled by the Government pending Permission of Use for your safety"
@@estradamurcielgo175 Exactly.
I don't think I would want to bet my life on it working 100% of the time, too many possible points of failure in my opinion, relying on the multiple electronic parts for it to function... One single circuit failure could cause it to become useless... I know for instance sometimes my smartphone biometric fingerprint reader fails to work(dirty or greasy finger), same with the facial recognition, Yes they work most of the time, but NOT 100% of the time... I like the idea of having a gun that will only work with whom it is programed to work with, but as I said I would not be willing to trust my life on this particular gun
Ian, I found this channel in 2016, I was about 19yo. I’m not too articulate and not too sure you’ll ever see this, but I wanted to sincerely thank you for inspiring me in this hobby, the pursuit of knowledge in firearm & firearm history. Your ability to convey all this information in a consistent, non-biased & effective means is just beyond remarkable, especially in the current media vs. what I remember media being years past. thanks again, and I’ll be viewing until I’m 86’d. Cheers!
I would love this job.
That's awesome I too love the mechanics of firearms and all the different types of actions they have and put more into learning about all things firearms than I ever did in school 😊
I feel you... I've started watching Ian in like 2013 or something.. back then I wasn't that into KZhead and even today I'm not even into guns... but the Ian's storytelling and mechanical aspects keep me rivetted to this channel :)
I've honestly felt that smart guns only made sense in security situations. Guards in high security jails where you would need lethal force at some point. I forget that parents also fall into this category. I've always felt that you teach the children because ignorance always has worse possible results. But there's an age before kids can be taught while they're still able to "play" and learn the hard way
What if the prisoners chop off the hand of the guard? Keep in mind the majority of people in prison are hardened criminals, some are lifers.
Also if your kid is bullied in their teens or want to sell it.
@@gunny6128You get the hand, now what's next? Holding the gun with guards hand on it?
@@gunny6128 lol, the majority of people in prison aren’t “hardened criminals”. 53% of federal prisoners are incarcerated for nonviolent crimes, you’ve been watching too much TV
@@gunny6128 "Lifers" lmao
"Hang on, bad guy! Let me put my passcode on my gun! Wait, my fingerprint sensor is dirty and won't read, give me a second, let me wipe it off!" 😂
i get it, but it is meant for the bedside, not the woods.
It's an interesting development. I don't know much about guns, but I have a few general engineering remarks: 1) Having a right- and a left-handed version isn't elegant. Also, what if you have multiple users, and they don't have the same dominant hand ? It would be better to have, at least as an option, two fingerprint sensors, one on each side. 2) The charging station seems cumbersome. It also seems to be too big to fit in a drawer. If I had a gun, I'd definitely neither want to announce its presence to anyone who is in my home (with or without my approval), nor would I want it to be permanently exposed to sunlight, dust, insects, ... Since the display unit seems to be used mainly for setup and diagnostics, a smartphone app plus Bluetooth should remove most of the charging station elements. Add USB charging, and the entire station can disappear. If Bluetooth is undesirable, communication with the app could also be over USB. 3) Speaking of USB: I'd hope they replace what looks like Micro-USB with USB C. 4) The laser sensors look like over-engineering. Anything optical may also be affected by dirt. A better option might be pressure/tension sensors in the grip. Such sensors may also allow for very low standby current, which should be desirable for a device that is likely to be used extremely infrequently. 5) As to making the gun unattractive for robbers, who could then sell the gun to an expert who can modify it: that may not really be feasible if the control path ends with solenoids. You'd probably need to extend the control path into the cartridge, with an electrical firing system, and digital authentication in the cartridge. All this may be too complex to be worth the trouble.
This definitely seems to be the most viable implementation of this concept I have ever seen.
Yet still completely unnecessary as basic gun saftey precludes anything it was designed for.
Not a very high bar tbh.
@@nobodynoone2500 lol true
@@bigguy7353 basic gun safety doesn't stop kids from being dumb, or just ignoring parents
@@TwatMcGee True, but a kid can operate a printer and I bet that if they printed out the face of the authorized user it will authenticate. If not that you can bypass authentication entirely by using a magnet to fire it since it depends on solenoids to drop the sear. Unless they've been very clever and have the solenoids moving in opposite directions, though I've no idea how that would even work and doubt it could be implemented.
It looks like an early version Lawgiver. Or rather, somewhat similar to the versions in the movies. Presumably missing the explosion when the ID fails to match.
That bottom part is for .5 pouund of c4
I was thinking of the Dominator in Psycho-pass, but it seems a better comparison.
Good point. The Judge Dredd lawgiver firearms also put the DNA fingerprint of the authenticated user on every round fired. This sort of applies to the Bio-fire gun too. If a corpse is found with a bullet in it that can be matched to your specific authenticated gun then that's pretty damn solid evidence that YOU shot them.
@@natestathes Lol yeah you can pull a pin which activates a timed demo charge, toss it down the hall at your home invader, then GET TO COVER!
"Double whammy"
Very interesting concept. Be very cool to see how it plays out in production.
New problem: "Dammit!!! I forgot to charge my gun!"
It will be possible to bypass the authentication, but the question is what skills, what tools, and how much time is needed to get at it.
The initial bypass will likely take some fairly clever sleuthing of the circuit board diagrams and software but after I imagine you will just need soldering skills to set up a bypass on certain electronic parts.
Someone get Lockpicking Lawyer on it, he'll have it cracked in an hour or two.
If you took it from Ian, couldn't you just turn the gun around while holding it, so the camera sees Ians face? then it would authenticate and you could shoot him?
@@mikesully110 pretty sure it has to see the enrolled user to unlock
@@mikesully110 Well the camera is at the rear of the gun so if you're pointing the rear of the gun to his face then...well you're...pointing the barrel towards you...
It seems like these developers asked the right questions on what this gun needed to be and do, and kept the design process streamlined to exactly what it needed and nothing more. Clever engineering.
Not entirely, that looks like mini usb lol
@@enb3810 that most definitely looks like USB-C, idk what you're seeing 🤔
@@enb3810 not
@@zyad48 probably blind, my TV was in the other room when I saw it. Good to see it's usb c then, I am tired of companies using micro and mini, it sucks
@@enb3810 Agreed
I'd be more scared of the electronics failing from the firing portion, the gun shooting has on electronics, hope they beefed them up.
First stage in development of the judge dread gun ❤ love it they need to push for this tech big time
There is a very real balance this channel has been consistent at, in terms of acknowledging the very real and very impactful laws around firearms, measured against the absolutely fascinating engineering processes and techniques gunsmiths use to solve problems on a technological level.
You use so many words to say nothing. That paragraph slides off my brain like melting icecream...
The addition of a lit front sight is super fascinating, way more versatile than tritium vials. I really hope for a lit rear sight in the production model.
i was thinking the same thing, two led dots on the rear sight that correspond with front sight just seems like a no-brainer, but it is a prototype after all
@@djentisnotagenre_ probably tricky to get power up onto a moving part like the slide
@@McMuster Only needs to power the slide lights while in battery[sic], in fact could be a good indication of being out of battery[sic], such as a feed failure blocking full return. A couple of simple contacts would do the trick.
It could be nice, but it might also be an intentional choice not to clutter the sights - 3 LEDs that likely don't have a reliable means of automatically changing the brightness could just end up with the 3 LEDs washing each other out in a dark room. It'd likely add complexity to the slide as well, requiring a cable or spring contacts to get power to the rear LEDs.
its a really intuitive indicator too, doesn't require looking anywhere else and provides instant assurance that the gun is active
The fact they've built the gun from the ground up instead of integrating it into a pre-existing platform is deeply impressive.
But does it have lifetime warranty on its battery? Or do I know at the time of purchase that I need to replace it even if it isn't used and perfectly maintained just because the battery just decided to not keep charge anymore?
This firearm reminds me of the dominator from a sci-fi anime called Psycho-Pass where it one has to authenticate the user as an authorized user and then allows the use of the firearm. Its really cool to see technology catching up to media.
Yeah.
Correct, but I suppose this isn't exactly a stunning endorsement. Y'know, given how it went in Psycho-Pass.
@@trianglemoebius true it would depend on if the company that manufactures it can gain access to your firearm or track it etc. plus how hack proof is it.
I would say it would add another type of “arms race”.
Not really considering Psycho-Pass is a dystopian future where a gun can decide who is psychologically abnormal and the people who do use those guns are themselves deemed as psychologically unstable.
In my opinion a gun like this is only really reasonable as a "bedside" gun, but nothing wrong with that. This restriction handles the lack of power concern and grime issues. But there could be a great market for that exact scenario, especially for parents.
And since that's the exact market they're targeting, it indicates they're doing a good job and being smart about it.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see this gun in prisons and police hands either though. In the not uncommon case of someone trying to get, or even successfully getting an officers pistol, lethal force is no longer necessary to keep everyone safe. It’s a pretty good idea.
Schools too. As a school-based counselor, I have seen kids reach for the school resource officers weapon.
prison guards too
Considering I used to put my handgun in my nightstand drawer, I was always concerned about someone finding it. That said, this would solve the issue
How can it know "software is up to date" if its not connected to some kind of "internet/server"? And how do you "update" or change the software (?) if its not connected?
I could see a retrofit version of this for a shotgun, actually. It's just the sensor, camera, scanner, and a small metal claw that prevents you from racking the slide. It doesn't stop you from using the gun, but it does prevent you from using the slide, so as long as there isn't a shell in the chamber, you can't reload the gun, and it's 100% perfectly safe until you uninstall that lock-out. This could be really useful with something like a M500, or a R870, because you could have yourself a loaded shotgun for hunting without the worry of some random jerk-face picking it up to do whatever stupid thing they were planning, and it keeps the breach unloaded if you have any common sense. This is a really interesting gun control mech. You get your gun as your wish, and a thief or unauthorized user can't use it. Unironically, something like this could let other people have access to more firearms even in states that wouldn't normally let you have one especially if you wanted to combine a type of RFID lockout in the event that you try to bring it somewhere you shouldn't, like a government building for example. There's a lot you can do with this.
Building both the electronic side AND the gun side from the ground up is something special all on it's own, that it works so well is another level of cool!
Smart gun can break even if it has face and finger magic. Sometimes it say friend, but not friend, or no say friend when it is friend. Bad guys can make magic to open gun or make gun stop working. Also, gun may stop working if parts no work. Gun need power, or it no work. Make sure smart gun work well.
yes its especially stupid thing to do as made very obvious by many malfunctions ...
@@Asghaad even mechanical guns malfunction, and this is a prototype, its not full production yet, you're probably more prone to malfunctions by buying a taurus than one of those when its fully developed
@@splintergp no, modern handgun from reputable manufacturer does not malfunction twice in one magazine... Even one or two malfunctions in THOUSAND+ rounds is unacceptable today... And all they are doing is putting extra crap that can malfunction on obviously BADLY designed firearm ...
I’m not sure I want a gun that the powers that be can turn off
Ideas like home and personal defense and avoiding misuse or mishandling by others is a pretty big plus, but I wouldn't be surprise the suspicion or hassle over the guns' computer will be a big turn off.
Ya the big problem with something like this, who do you believe will have the option to turn it off for use when they want. Maybe not this model, but a gov shutoff switch will be included at some point. Bet on it. Might be the safest bet ever made.
@@Tyler.Rude. kinda like thermostats being controlled by the government.
@@Tyler.Rude. if it's not connected to the internet no one can do anything with it
@@Tyler.Rude. please, its obvious that the govt is never going to come for anyones guns, even the most unhinged of us. We live on a PvP server, good luck out there.
So far, as demonstrated by Ian (under, admittedly, ideal circumstances), setup and use do not appear to be any hassle at all.
I'd be most interested in ensuring the device is 100% under user control. I'm less interested in who can hack into my digital holster, and more interested in: 1- Making sure the developers can not influence my firearm if they wanted to ("software update" can not deauthenticate or disable weapon even if they want to) 2- Making sure the weapon is not reliant on that holster beyond initial setup. If my holster breaks or is unavailable... most it can do is leave me unable to add new users. I can get by on a portable phone charger battery for days. In short: I'm seeking to gain MORE power over the weapon, not less. It will be too expensive for me, but I am certainly otherwise well in their target audience. Ain't no way I'd put a gun in the same house these kids sleep. You'd wake up thinking crips and bloods were battling over who got to shoot you first.
Only alive cuz they're fighting between themselves over the one gun.
- USB there is definitely going to break. 4pin connector with small pogo-pins in the cradle will never break, even if pinout stays USB. - Adding LEDs at rear sights would be beneficial for depth perception - I bet these batteries are 18650 for accessibility. Producing custom LiPos would make frame of the gun slimmer and lighter. However it's a "win some lose some" solution. - With this amount of tech inside it, i bet that with just 1 additional sensor measuring mag resistance, main processor thingy inside it would also easily take on the task of counting rounds and showing you at least a yellow / red indicator when your mag is half empty / almost empty. It's even possible to not add anything and use rear sights LEDs to indicate remaining ammo and front sights to indicate auth status. - I bet that this fingerprint sensor is hackable with a piece of putty although this is definitely something to test.
Hi I'm Ian McCollum, and this is the Biofire, "smart gun." I reviewed a prototype of this weapon twenty years ago, and I thought it had some neat features. Unfortunately they only ended up making about twelve hundred of these guns before going bankrupt. So it's a interesting collectable oddity. One thing to note is after going bankrupt a film armory company bought all of the remaining stock to use as a sci-fi gun movie prop.
And all are specifically to be used in films Alec Baldwin acts in to prevent any more "accidents"
@ThePwNzclan the armourer temporarily authorising Baldwin for twenty seconds for one take like
This wouldn't surprise me. Honestly, I can see this thing being WAY too expensive for the target audience, and NATURALLY the gun lovers will reject it. All these sensors and cameras and stuff are going to make it inaccessible, defeating the purpose.
@@jesuszamora6949 its $1500. People pay more for bone standard guns
@@jesuszamora6949 The sensors, cameras etc are already pretty mature technology. It's all basically repurposed smart phone tech, and that already has the bonus of high volume production. Besides, have you seen what some new parents pay for baby-related stuff? $1500 for a pistol that baby can't accidentally use. It'll sell like hot cakes in its target market.
Ian is probably the only source I trust when it comes to new tech
right on, brother. I have 100 questions, but Gun Jesus saying good things has me half way down the road. I'm with him. Wait and see. Ok? but it is an encouraging report.
This is one of the dumbest things I have ever seen in my life. There is no way I will ever trust my life on that or any other thing like that. For specific reasons #1. Yes you may be able to open your phone with your face. But there is not a 100%. #2. Yes you may be able to open your phone with your fingerprint. But that also is not a 100%. #3. Just buy this thing being created will give yet. Tool or weapon to be used by the anti-gunners to infringe upon our rights. #4. Adding any more complexity to a machine of any sort gives it even more opportunity to FAIL. Whether or not it is to be considered a new platform. #5. Simply speaking anything that has electronics of any kind can be hacked in or overwritten by anyone. Let's not forget about the low emission emp gun and speed strips that the police were testing not too long ago to stop your car without you having a say-so in it. I would love to see how good you think it would be. If say the police or a government could simply shut off your ability to protect yourself with a simple press of a button. And lastly #6. That thing runs off of a battery. Let me ask everyone and anyone how many times have you forgotten to plug up your phone? Or that a battery went bad and exploded? Or that you've gotten your phone accidentally wet or dropped it and it broke? For all those reasons and more that I do not feel like typing down now. History has already shown us that Murphy's law. Is a real thing. And that anyone with the will to either weaponize criminalize and or have the melis of ill-will. Will find a way to use the technology within that "toy" to their betterment and enrichment and to your demise.
Will this have an ability to be programmed for 2 and 3 rnd bursts….
"For Gun Jesus saw that it was good, said it was good, and it was good."
@@fornow78 typical luddite talk. I persume you also prefer revolvers over auto pistols due to decreased complexity"?
"All the guys from Def Con are going to be slavoring to get their hands on one of these and break it." As a professinal hacker and gun enthusiast, he's absolutely right. I REALLY want to try to beat the security of this gun for the challenge. If the price is right, I might just buy it as soon as it comes out and see what I can do :)
Even though personally I would not use this I want this tech to mature to a extremely reliable point where it is feasible to understand a struggle for a gun and lock up for police force. I know there is training training training, but seen more than a few times of "he's trying to get my gun!" Situations that turn out awful and would like to see a mature evolution of this for those applications. Currently military and not MP so I don't have a bone in that fight, and right now definitely would rather rely on mechanical systems for life or death tools. But if you could get it below 1% failure rate for say 10,000 draws I think there could be a case for something like this.