美国枪案频发，智能枪械能解决问题吗？

在美国不断出现枪击事件和枪支暴力的情况下，科技也许最终会成为一种重要的防范工具，但前提是它要进入大众市场。

20世纪90年代中期以来，世界各地的企业都在研究与枪支安全性有关的先进技术。实际上，枪支安全技术已经成为“家庭作坊”型行业，许多小型枪械公司都在想办法降低枪支的危险性。

当然，正如所有和枪支有关的问题一样，人们一直在争论所谓的“智能枪械”，也就是依靠科技来提高枪支安全性，这是否真的是一种进步。Smart Tech Challenges Foundation等组织认为，生物测定等智能技术能拯救生命。这家设在旧金山的基金会已向枪支安全领域的“创新者”提供了100万美元资金。它表示，在科技行业的帮助下，有可能“让枪支变得更安全，对持枪者以及他们的家人和社区来说都是如此”。

今年早些时候，两位来自马萨诸塞州的民主党参议员艾德•马基和伊丽莎白•沃伦提出了一项议案，名为《手枪扳机安全法》。他们指出，枪械技术的进步表明“智能枪械”是一种可行方案。如果该法案获得通过，手枪制造商就得在自己的产品上使用“个人化技术”。这样，只有持有者才能触发这些武器。该提案要求美国手枪厂商在5年内把这种技术投入实际应用。

很快，该提案以及智能枪械概念就受到了批评。美国全国步枪协会下属的立法行动研究所表示，该协会既不反对智能枪械，也不反对美国人持有智能枪械。但它“反对用任何法案来禁止美国人获得或持有未使用智能枪械技术的枪支”。

不过，近年来不断出现造成多人伤亡的枪击事件，加州圣贝纳迪诺市最近就发生了一起，这让提高枪支安全性的呼声越来越高。同时，科技也在朝着这个方向发展。以下就是其中的一些思路。

As the rash of shootings and gun violence across the U.S. continues, technology may ultimately prove to be an important tool to prevent some of it. That is, if it ever reaches a mass market.

Since the mid-1990s, companies around the globe have been working on advanced gun safety technology. Indeed, gun safety technology has become a cottage industry of sorts, with small firearms companies eyeing ways to reduce the dangers of firearms.

Of course, as with anything related to guns, there is a debate over whether so-called “smart guns” that rely on technology to increase safety are truly an improvement. Organizations like the Smart Tech Challenges Foundation argue that adding intelligent technology like biometrics can save lives. The San Francisco-based organization, which has granted $1 million to “innovators” working on gun-safety technology, says that with help from the technology industry, it is possible “to make firearms safer for gun owners, their families, and their communities.”

Earlier this year, Democratic senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced a bill called the “Handgun Trigger Safety Act” and pointed to advances in gun technology as proof that “smart guns” are viable options. The bill, if signed into law, would require handgun vendors to “retrofit” guns with “personalization technology” that would only let the owners shoot them. The bill would also require U.S. handgun makers to produce guns with that personalization technology within five years.

It wasn’t long before critics attacked the bill and the very idea of smart guns. The National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action says that it’s neither against smart guns nor against Americans owning them. But it “opposes any law prohibiting Americans from acquiring or possessing firearms that don’t possess smart gun technology.”

However, following the mass shootings of the last several years, including the latest attack in San Bernardino, Calif. this week, the call for more gun safety is growing. Meanwhile, technology is advancing in the interest of enhanced gun safety. Here are some of the ideas:

The Aramatix iP1：The Aramatix iP1的外形和标准手枪一样，但二者的差别是，只有持有者才能用iP1射击。触发条件是持有者佩戴的专用手表距iP1不到10英寸，而且必须用每八小时重置一次的五位密码激活iP1。也就是说，只有在输入正确的密码并佩戴专用手表时才能用iP1射击。缺少任何一个条件，iP1就会变成摆设。

The Aramatix iP1: The Aramatix iP1 resembles a standard handgun, but it comes with a twist: only the owner can fire it. The iP1 will only shoot if it’s within 10 inches of a special watch worn by the owner and must be activated by a five-digit PIN that is valid for just eight hours before it resets. The owner will only be able to fire the gun if the PIN is accurately entered and they’re wearing the watch. If either of those elements is missing, the gun is useless.

The Gun Box：The Gun Box是放置手枪的家用保险柜。它带有指纹扫描功能，从而确保只有获得授权的持有者才能拿到保险柜里的枪支。同时，它还配备了射频识别装置，持有者接近时可通过无线方式打开保险柜。持有者还会获得带有射频识别功能的戒指，作用是和保险柜通信，从而在不扫描指纹的情况下打开保险柜。

The Gun Box: The Gun Box is a safe designed to store handguns in the home. The safe features a biometric fingerprint scanner to ensure only authorized owners can access the firearm inside. In addition, the safe comes with an RFID scanner that can wirelessly open its door when owners are close by. RFID is also built into a ring that owners wear to communicate with, and ultimately open, the box without using a fingerprint.

射频识别枪支：射频识别技术还用在了枪支安全方面。Smart Tech Challenges Foundation正在资助制造商生产内置了射频芯片的枪支，该芯片的作用是捕捉并存储信息。它会和枪支持有者戴的戒指进行通信。如果双方的距离只有几英寸，持有者就能射击；否则就无法用这种枪支射击。

RFID Guns: Radio frequencies are also being tested for gun safety. The Smart Tech Challenges Foundation is helping to fund firearms that would come with built-in RFID chips capable of capturing and storing information internally. The RFID chips built into the firearms communicate with a ring or watch worn by the gun’s owner. If the RFID receivers are within a few inches of each other, the owner will be able to fire the gun. If not, the gun cannot be fired.

指纹技术：Smart Tech Challenges Foundation的几个团队正在开发用于枪支的生物测定技术。这些枪支带有指纹识别功能，很像智能手机。授权持有者验证指纹后才能开枪。枪支的好几个部位都可安装指纹识别器，包括枪柄。

Fingerprint Technology: Several teams at the Smart Tech Challenges Foundation are working on creating biometric technology for guns. The firearms would be built with fingerprint scanners, much like some smartphones. The gun would only shoot after an authorized owner validates his or her fingerprint. The scanners may be placed on several areas on the gun, including the grip.

TriggerSmart：TriggerSmart也是一家把射频识别技术用于枪支的公司。它的技术同样需要持有者佩戴的戒指和安装在枪托或枪柄里的小型射频识别芯片进行通信。如果二者距离太远，或者没戴戒指的人试图进行使用，枪支就不会射击。

展望未来，很难预料今后的智能枪械技术会是什么样。虽然人们正在积极寻找提高枪支安全性的办法，但还没有哪个主要枪支制造商开始大规模销售智能枪械。

实际上，今年4月份《财富》杂志曾报道过一位销售Aramatix iP1的经销商，但他要求《财富》不提及他的姓氏或居住地。为什么？因为他担心自己的人身安全。此前曾有两位销售智能枪械的经销商接到了匿名威胁电话。打电话的人说会让他们破产，甚至会杀了他们，就因为他们销售智能枪械。（财富中文网）

译者：Charlie

校对：詹妮

TriggerSmart: TriggerSmart is another company that has built RFID into guns. Its technology similarly relies on the gun owner wearing a ring that communicates with a small RFID chip in the firearm’s stock or grip. If the firearm is too far away from the ring or someone else tries to use it, the gun will not fire.

Looking ahead, it’s hard to say what the future for smart gun technology looks like. While people are actively seeking ways to make firearms safer, no major gunmaker is selling smart guns on a broad scale. Indeed, in April, Fortune reported wrote about one dealer trying to sell the Aramatix iP1. He asked Fortune not to use his last name or identify where he lives. The reason? He fears for his life. The previous two gun dealers who tried to sell smart guns were threatened by anonymous callers. Those dealers were told they would be put of business, or perhaps, even killed, because they were selling the smart gun.