Open-Source Goes Open-Range With Linux Powered Rifle

[micropage7]

The Linux operating system is one of the most well-respect open-source OS’ on the planet and now it’s going to war – literally.

The team at Tracking Point have implemented Linux in an attempt to create firearms with more precision. The goal was simple, create firearms that could be more accurate from long distances.

First shown off at CES 2013, the company implements a combination of ARM CPUs, lasers, and on-board Wi-Fi to determine shooting accuracy. That combined information allows hunters and other armed individuals to increase their distance for accuracy.

The company claims that hunters with a normal range of 200 to 300 yards are often comfortable shooting with accuracy from double and even triple those distances.

Founded in 2009 by John McHale, the company has actually created three “precision guided firearms.” According to McHale the goal was to create more “ethical kills” whereby animal suffering is minimized through effective kill shots.

The software works by determining all the factors that make for an accurate kill. For example the gun examines wind speed, elevation, temperature, humidity, the curvature and rotation of the Earth, along with other factors. The gun then provides a heads up display within its scope which guides the shooter towards an effective and humane kill.

According to the company the gun eliminates shooters error in the following areas:

• Aim

• Trigger pull

• Environmental inputs

• Range miscalculation

The gun works with a complete solution of rifle + scope + ammo which are sold as packages from Tracking Point. The system asks users to input their rifle and round type so it can determine shooting solutions.

The company is really pushing the hunting aspect of its weapons but we have to wonder how quickly they will become part of a military snipers portfolio given their ability to eliminate human error from the equation.

The only downside we have seen so far? The gun costs $17,000.

http://techbeat.com/2013/04/open-source-goes-open-range-with-linux-powered-rifle/

 

[Peter1986C]

For some reason I am notg surprised at all. For example drones are also likely to use Linux, BSD (or perhaps in the future, Herd) as their software platform.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Or none of the above and it's all ROM chips that can't be hacked.

 

[Peter1986C]

I did not think about that.

 

[W1zzard]

ROM chips can be hacked just like any other hardware/software combination. Most ROM is flash anyway so it can be upgraded.

I'm pretty sure modern drones run some relatively common, heavily validated, operating system. Developing a new OS and getting it to run stable costs near infinite amounts of money.

edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INTEGRITY-178B#INTEGRITY-178B POSIX-certified, so not much unlike Linux/BSD

 

[digibucc]

$17k and the gun asks users to input the type of gun it's installed on? and the rounds that gun uses?

 

[FordGT90Concept]

edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INTEGRITY-178B#INTEGRITY-178B POSIX-certified, so not much unlike Linux/BSD

Those are manned aircraft. Drones use something entirely different. It is sure to be a RTOS though.

 

[GLD]

A rifle like this could make any soldier feel they are a sniper. But I think a true sniper may find the tech cumbersome and intrusive to their craft.

 

[Aquinus]

A rifle like this could make any soldier feel they are a sniper. But I think a true sniper may find the tech cumbersome and intrusive to their craft.

I think that depends on how intrusive it is. If it's only providing an overlay, I'm sure you could hide it if you didn't want to use it. I don't think many militaries want to gimp their soldiers.

I bet you the gun is calibrated for particularly weighted ammunition, or you tell it so it adjusts accordingly. All it needs to do is be able to measure crosswinds and you'll be golden.