REAL LIFE NEWS: THE SMART RIFLE THAT CAN’T MISS
by Hazed
Real life is catching up with science fiction, because the US Army is testing a smart rifle that will make shooting much more accurate.
The TrackingPoint rifles allow the user to place a virtual tag on their target as they view it through the weapon’s scope. The gun will then only fire if it’s correctly lined up on its target. This will prevent user errors, such as trigger jerk, range miscalculation and accidental firing.
The gun’s scope comes with a built-in computer which can compensate for variables such as temperature, wind and the expected spin drift of the bullet.
Although this isn’t going to turn ordinary soldiers into super-snipers, it should improve accuracy. TrackingPoint, the company that makes the scopes, claims they increase success rate by five times at distances of up to 1,200 yards.
It’s not limited to military use, either – the company sells a civilian version which costs between £10,000 and $27,000.
The military is obviously enthusiastic about this technology because they are also looking at other systems: DARPA, the Pentagon’s mad scientist division, is developing its own sniper scope called the One Shot XG that measures crosswinds and range to the target, giving a resulting confidence score; and Lockheed Martin is working on self-guiding bullets that use tiny fins to adjust their course in mid-air to steer themselves towards a target.
How long before we have guns that shoot themselves, I wonder?
