New Breakthrough in Firearm Safety: Innovative Sensor Technology Aims to Prevent Fatalities

A team of researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has made significant strides in developing a novel skin-sensing system that can detect an individual's level of intoxication when handling a firearm. The innovative technology, which involves embedding a sensor onto the grip of a gun, could potentially prevent fatal accidents and suicides.

Led by Faculty-Researcher Gill Tsouri, a professor of electrical engineering at RIT, the project aims to create a trigger lock that can disable the firing pin mechanism when an individual's blood alcohol content levels exceed a certain threshold. This development is part of an effort to prevent firearm-related fatalities, which account for nearly 90% of deaths in this category.

According to Tsouri, the system is not intended to restrict access to firearms but rather to empower users to handle them safely and responsibly. "Our purpose is not to prevent people from accessing their firearm, but rather to keep their firearms when seeking help," he emphasized.

The research, which has been awarded a grant of over $402,000 by the U.S. Department of Defense's Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program, will focus on the development and testing of this innovative technology using state-of-the-art skin alcohol sensors and 3D printing techniques.

"We are exploring an innovative use of current biosensing technology in a way that has not been done before," Tsouri explained. "This is a firearm safety measure. We want to make sure that our prototype can accurately detect and respond to intoxication levels, while also being user-friendly and effective."

The project will integrate human factors design principles to ensure the system meets the needs of firearms users, healthcare providers, and organizations that distribute firearms for their missions.

"This innovation has the potential to save lives and reduce firearm-related fatalities in the U.S.," said Jill Lavigne, a suicide prevention researcher collaborating with Tsouri on the project.

The researchers will conduct pre-implementation research and testing to validate the accuracy and sensitivity of the sensor before moving forward with prototype development.