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Gunshot Tracking Cameras to be Deployed in LA

Posted by samzenpus on from the mixed-senses dept.

apok04 writes "Get out your tinfoil hats (and ski masks). A USC engineer uses his expertise with nerve cells to create a surveillance system that can recognize the sound of a nearby gunshot - and identify the shooter. In a unique pilot program, L.A. and Chicago will deploy test units in high-crime areas. The creator emphasizes that the system cannot recognize voices or words, but his previous research into speech recognition systems suggests otherwise."

4 of 480 comments (clear)

  1. Response Time by fembots · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The system can then locate, precisely, where the shot was fired, turn a camera to center the shooter in the camera viewfinder and make a 911 call to a central police station.

    If the shooter is still there, she deserves to be caught.

    According to the article, this device is listening for the entire sound pattern of the gunshot, not just the initial explosion, which makes it much less likely to mistake other loud noises for shooting.

    So it may be difficult to fool it unless you can also simulate the whole shooting sequence (think of Matrix's bullet time).

    I guess FPS game developers can use one of these to create realistic gunshot sounds.

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    1. Re:Response Time by lordkuri · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Thing is, this can work both ways... if the police have a "questionable" incident, will the video be availiable to the public? I'm thinking no...

  2. Bay Area Scam by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 4, Interesting
    A few years back one of the cities in the Bay Area (I want to say East Palo Alto, but I'm not sure) deployed a system of microphones which would pinpoint the location of a gunshot and then forward that to police.

    As I recall it turned out that the company doing this was closely affiliated with one of the local politicos and the system was basically bunk. I don't remember how it all played out, but maybe someone else out there does?

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  3. Why so long? by Easy2RememberNick · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I remember seeing a system like this years ago. I'm quite sure in the 1980's! Possibly on that Beyond 2000 science show from Australia (we get weird shows here sometimes). I wondered why it was never used it seems like a great invention.

    Why so long to get a system like this produced?

    Put it in Iraq attached to a machine gun, calibrated to shoot at the sound of an AK-47 not an M16. Since it seems to be able to tune out other explosive noises why not refine it ever further to just a certain gun type?

    The device is listening for the entire sound pattern of the gunshot, not just the initial explosion, which makes it much less likely to mistake other loud noises for shooting.