Biofire Technologies, a tech startup founded by Kai Kloepfer in 2016 to develop firearms that can only be operated by authorized users, has announced that it has begun accepting presales for its first 9mm Smart Gun.
The Biofire Smart Gun has a fingerprint sensor built into its grip as well as facial recognition technology located at the rear of the pistol. When either system senses a registered user, the gun unlocks and can be fired — but only as long as the user maintains their grip on the gun. As soon as they set the gun down or let go, the gun locks again. Indicator lights at the front and rear of the pistol glow white when the gun is locked but looking for a registered user, and green when the gun unlocks and is ready to fire.
To get the technology to work, Kloepfer and his team of engineers had to build the pistol from the ground up — including over a dozen circuit boards and a new firing system that is primarily electronic, not mechanical. The trigger is more of a button that, once depressed by an authorized user, sends a signal to the striker to fire a loaded round.
Buried beneath the 21st century exterior and electrical components are the common firearm components one might expect, but Biofire plans on making everything, from the barrel to the 10- to 15-round magazines, in house.
Powering the Smart Gun is a small rechargeable battery that is expected to last four months if the pistol is used moderately. But the gun also comes with a docking station that recharges the pistol and features a small tablet for registering users and adjusting the pistol’s settings. All of the fingerprint and facial recognition data is encrypted and kept within the gun, and nothing connects to the internet to allay hacking concerns. Users can also set the gun up so that a built-in aiming laser activates the second they grip the gun, or they can manually activate the laser using buttons on both sides of the gun.
Biofire’s press release makes it clear that the pistol was designed for home defense, which makes sense considering its size and heft. Smart guns have had several setbacks and have never successfully entered the market, but time will tell if the Biofire Smart Gun becomes a success. The company is still testing and refining the pistol before it begins production. Those interested can learn more at smartgun.com.