David Shapshak
In countless B-grade science fiction films, the villain was foiled in his attempt to shoot the hero with his own gun because the “smart” gun would only allow itself to be fired by the rightful owner.
For the technophiles, this was explained as the gun having an embedded sensor that read the hero’s fingerprint before the gun could shoot.
Smart guns are science fiction no longer. These days a variety of fingerprint scanners have made their way from the prototype stage in a laboratory into the public domain where their applications could do precisely this.
With the leaps and bounds taken in micro-technology, such sensors have become smaller and smaller, making them increasingly proficient, almost hidden, ways to control the use of electronic devices.
One such innovative fingerprint scanner has already been tried and tested on cellphones – which could put paid to cellphone theft, as only the registered owner or user could use the phone.
Cellphone users would programme the sensor with their fingerprints and the phone would automatically scan their finger each time they wanted to make a call.
Developed by electronics giant Siemens and known as the Fingertip, the device is as big as a fingernail and takes a 10th of a second to check 20 or 30 characteristics, of which only 12 are needed to positively identify a person beyond doubt.
Siemens launched the device last year on their SL10 model cellphone, but sent it back for more research in the company’s German labs.
Further developments are expected to be announced in March.
Because of its size, the Fingertip can be integrated into just about any device, including guns, says Siemens.
German police are investigating embedding the device in the butt of guns to prevent their misuse and criminal use.
Foreseeably, the device could be built into all new guns. The owner’s finger would need to be placed on the sensor to make it usable.
In South Africa, however, the major problem with gun control is not new guns entering the market, but the millions of unlicensed firearms floating around the country.
One clear use could be for the police to prevent their weapons being stolen and used either against them or in criminal activities.