TrackingPoint smart rifles aim to make anyone a marksman

The US military is reportedly testing a smart rifle that aims automatically, so whoever is firing has more chance of hitting the target.

Start-up company TrackingPoint says the military bought six of its precision-guided firearms for between $10,000 and $27,000 each. One journalist who tested it said he hit a target 1,000 yards away on the first shot.

The rifles use a Linux computer system which runs in the scope along with a host of sensors. The scope is able to determine weather, including wind speed and direction, plus ground inclination. Using that information the computer can lock-on to a target that's been tagged by the user. The computer will then show the user where to aim for the best shot before pulling the trigger. All rather scary stuff.

The units bought by the military will be used to test if soldiers can compete against trained marksmen when equipped with superior weapons. While technological advancements are exciting this is another step on a slippery slope towards computer controlled warfare.

What if this weapon got into the wrong hands? Anybody would suddenly become a marksman without training. That's a sobering thought in the face of America's current gun crime problems.

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