by Dr. Deborah Bauers

Created on: March 14, 2013   Last Updated: March 15, 2013

Whether or not smart gun technology is a key to gun safety is a controversial topic that is currently the subject of heated debate. For gun activists who believe strongly in the Second Amendment right to bear arms, the smart gun looks a lot like another opportunity for government control. But if you’re looking for a way to prevent your child from accidental gun injury to himself or somewhat else, a smart gun might be just the ticket. For many, it comes down to one of two objectives: Gun safety or gun control. The smart is gun is still in development and is not yet available to consumers.  And while, at a glance, it seems like a reasonable solution to reducing criminal violence and enhancing public safety, gun legislative activists on both sides of Capitol Hill are already battling over whether to embrace this futuristic concept as the answer to responsible gun ownership.

A smart gun can only be fired by the individual whose identify is linked to it through microchips or another form of sensory technology. With this concept in mind, picture this. It’s two o’clock in the morning and you awaken to the sound of breaking glass. With a few quick number sequences, you unlock your gun and prepare for the worst. Seconds later you confront a criminal intent on robbing your home; but when you raise your hand to fire?  You’re kidding right? The battery is dead? It may sound like badly written science fiction but guess what?  Currently developed smart gun prototypes utilize some form of battery as their main source of power. While a dead battery in your car or smoke detector might be inconvenient and a major point of frustration, a dead battery in your handgun when you need it the most can mean your death.

In a recent story featured on Newsworks, Don Sebastian, senior vice-president of research and development of The New Jersey’s Institute of Technology, shared some history on his school’s smart gun development that began over a decade ago. In fact, he indicated that a prototype has existed since the latter 1990‘s that uses sensors embedded in the pistol grip. He claims that tests run on the prototype were 99% efficient.

At the White’s House recent urging, smart gun technology is on the move. This raises the question of why Mr. Sebastian’s prototype or one like it hasn’t already become a fully marketable smart gun. Apart from the assertion that further funding for The New Jersey Institute’s research

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