To recognize the shape of a gun… oh and of course to save the children… and it’s about to be a Kickstarter:
You can head over to the GunDetect website to read more, but here is a summary:
The Deep Learning software which GunDetect uses is “trained” by software analysis of many thousands of images that are labeled as to whether or not they contain the object that is being recognized. Once trained, the software can interpret new images to decide whether they contain the object of interest, but getting high accuracy requires some complicated image manipulation along with other vision-processing algorithms to help the deep-learning software avoid false results.
Sigh… I stopped taking this even remotely serious when I realized it’s currently vaporware and a upcoming Kickstarter. God I’m so sick of people Kickstarting everything. I know I’ve went on that rant a few times, but really it’s getting out of hand. GunDetect’s head office is in a ritzy looking Arkansas research and technology park at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville AR. Not only that, but their apparently (by the look of the site) under Nanowatt design, which is in turn in the portfolio of a seemingly large technology venture development company called VIC. There are a lot of old white dudes on the Executive boards of both those, so I’m sure there’s some money to throw around. Why not get others to pay for it though I guess? That’s just good business if you can pull it off. WHOLE SQUAD GETS YACHTS.
“Security” like this is completely useless to me, and likely most others. If I’m out biking around or having one of my three iced Americano’s per day (decaf now because I started trippin off the caffeine) what good would a text be saying that a gun was spotted in my condo? Who gives a shit? I’ll sort it out when I get home. The bigger question and concern would be how they got past the first six security measures before this unneeded one that notified me. *blatant lifestyle / security flex*
GunDetect is very careful to point out they are not “treading” on gun owners:
Our goal with GunDetect is to find common ground and avoid the debate about gun laws, since we are technologists with a technical solution that can provide an unobtrusive layer of safety. We’re particularly interested in making sure children are safe, which is a goal we share with the NRA’s Eddie Eagle program and with the numerous gun-safety advocacy groups. If our GunDetect system gives an early warning and helps save a child’s life, then all the work we’ve put into creating this product will be rewarded as the most important contribution we can make in our careers.
Are kids nerf guns, and airsoft guns going to set this thing off? My guess is definitely. So there goes another mark against this thing in my books.
Why does technology NEED to be the answer to everything now? The money and life saving answer to all this is to evaluate what security measures you need in place in order to prevent accidents and unwanted access. Maybe you’re a 40 year old bachelor with no friends, no kids, and no family that ever comes to visit? Keeping a loaded gun on your nightstand sounds like a viable option. If you have a young family, with a bunch of shithead kids who picked up a lifetime of bad habits and annoying quirks from daycare because you and your wife work too much, then maybe a nightstand drawer gun, or even top shelf of the closet in a keyed lockbox (as in the video) isn’t responsible storage for your particular situation. So figure it out and fix your problem the old fashioned way. Maybe your kids are the problem? Yea you might be shitty parents Steve and Monica, so try to fix yourselves ASAP, and then fix the kids before little Keith turns into a gang banger and lovely Lisa changes her name to “Karma” ends up on the pole. Fuck outta here with this computer analysis bullshit. It’s not the answer. Who’s with me?
Oh and one last thing… they claim the analysis servers in the cloud don’t store video or images. Well guess what, the NSA does, and you just gave them another nice 24 hour camera. The footage of you with your wiener out practicing the Tom Cruise Risky Business dance when you’re home alone will be safely archived on their servers for safe keeping. File a hopeful FOIA request or something at a later date if you ever want to cash in on an America’s Funniest Home Videos win.
Gat tip: Adam