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World's First Linux Powered Rifle Announced
stevew writes "Following up our earlier discussion about whether guns should be self-aware comes the announcement of the world's first Linux-powered rifle. A startup attending CES was showing how their 'Precision Guided Firearms' would use customized, computerized scopes to assist with aiming. 'The Linux-powered scope produces a display that looks something like the heads-up display you'd see sitting in the cockpit of a fighter jet, showing the weapon's compass orientation, cant, and incline. To shoot at something, you first "mark" it using a button near the trigger. Marking a target illuminates it with the tracking scope's built-in laser, and the target gains a pip in the scope's display. When a target is marked, the tracking scope takes into account the range of the target, the ambient temperature and humidity, the age of the barrel, and a whole boatload of other parameters. It quickly reorients the display so the crosshairs in the center accurately show where the round will go.'"
In that scenario the trigger is nothing more than a dead mans switch. You hold the trigger down, hold the reticle on target (ish) and the gun fires at the right moment. It may only happen in milliseconds, but the ultimate decision to fire isn't made by the human, the human just authorises it.
Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.
It's target market is the military. The aim, to turn a whole lot of second rate shots into first rate snipers and to generate huge profits for the company. You can also expect police forces to purchase the aiming system in order to enhance accuracy. The operating system is largely arbitrary, although it would be interesting to see how compact an install they achieved and driver and kernel set up as quality of 'appliance' style installs are interesting.
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
Fair enough. I've never shot competitive so I can't comment on how the weight can impact you.
Basically the logic is this - if at this instant pulling the trigger would cause a miss it is REALLY hard to pull it. If at this instant pulling the trigger would cause a hit then it is REALLY easy to pull it. So, you basically pull with medium force on the trigger the whole time and when you happen to have the gun lined up perfectly your finger will suddenly give way and fire the shot.
A bit analog vs just having the trigger be an authorization to fire and letting the gun take the shot, but it works out about the same in the end. The gun basically fires for you, with your force against the trigger being just another spring in the mechanism.