A biometrics-based solution for curbing gun violence has been developed by smart weapons startup Biofire.

The startup has recently announced the launch of its Smart Gun, a 9 mm pistol that only fires once it recognizes the authorized user’s facial scans and fingerprints via onboard software.

Source: Biofire

According to Biofire, the Smart Gun reportedly relies on electronic signals in order to operate and not traditional firearms’ trigger mechanisms. Further, the startup claims that the Smart Gun takes just a millisecond to unlock.

Developed with the hope of saving “tens of thousands of lives,” the Smart Gun is reportedly a secure device that uses solid state, encrypted electronic fire control technology, which is currently employed by modern-day fighter jets and missile systems.

Further, to ensure the privacy of the Smart Gun users, associated biometric data is only kept on the firearm and the firearm does not include onboard Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or GPS capabilities.

Biofire assures that the Smart Gun is impossible to alter or to convert into a standard handgun. Additionally, up to five users can be added or removed using the Smart Gun’s portable touchscreen-enabled Smart Dock interface.

According to reports, Biofire expects to begin shipping the Smart Gun in early 2024 at a price of roughly $1,499.