Biofire’s 9mm Smart Gun: A Revolutionary Solution to Gun Deaths?

Biofire, a technology company, recently made a 9mm smart gun available for pre-order in the US.^[0] The firearm has a fingerprint sensor on the grip and a 3D facial recognition sensor on the back, making it a firearm that only an authorised user can unlock and fire.^[1] Biofire founder Kai Kloepfer said his goal in creating the smart gun was to “have an incremental positive impact on sort of the uniquely American challenge of gun deaths”.^[2] However, smart guns have yet to become a reality due to technological challenges and political issues.^[0] Kloepfer said there have been hundreds of prototypes of his smart gun over the years, including one he developed as a high school student for a science fair in engineering.^[2] Biofire has done a lot of work around testing for super hot or cold environments and what happens to the gun if it gets wet or dropped in the mud. In a test conducted for NPR at Biofire's in-house firing range, Kloepfer was the only person authorised to use the gun.^[1] The gun remained locked and wouldn't fire when a non-authorized NPR reporter picked it up.^[1]

0. “The first smart gun with facial and fingerprint recognition is now for sale” South Carolina Public Radio, 29 Apr. 2023, https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/2023-04-29/the-first-smart-gun-with-facial-and-fingerprint-recognition-is-now-for-sale

1. “The first smart gun with facial and fingerprint recognition is now for sale” WAMU 88.5, 29 Apr. 2023, https://wamu.org/story/23/04/29/the-first-smart-gun-with-facial-and-fingerprint-recognition-is-now-for-sale/

2. “The first smart gun with facial and fingerprint recognition is now for sale” GPB News, 29 Apr. 2023, https://www.gpb.org/news/2023/04/29/the-first-smart-gun-facial-and-fingerprint-recognition-now-for-sale