02-06-2003, 09:42 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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PDAs to be used for Homeland Security Gunshot Detection
"What an amazing application for PDAs. Proxity is working with the govenrment to bring their Gunshot Detection System to the streets of the US. PDAs leveraging an internet connection will be able to detect a gunshot and report it to authorities with a reasonably accurate location of the shot(s) fired."
It's not clear which PDA they'll be using... and how exactly this will be deployed and used. Proxity does have some more information on their homepage.
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02-06-2003, 10:04 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 399
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great idea...but what's the point? The officers would have to be within "listening" distance of the gunshot, right?
And who uses shotguns anymore? I bet there's som e survey out there that shows most domestic criminal activity is done with handguns, not shotguns?
Please inform me if I'm mistaken about this......
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02-06-2003, 10:49 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,329
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Huh? It works on all guns not just shotguns. This is cool but really sounds impractical to be implemented in PDAs. With the exception that it can determine the make\model of the gun. That would be useful in determining if you are dealing with ton o firepower or not.
I could however see this implemented in streetlights using WIFI. Place it every 1/2 mile or so in a city. It wouldn't be as big brotherish as say a video monitoring system since its only designed to monitor gunshot signatures. Of course there are other practical applications as well. How about car crashes? As soon as it detects the squealing of the tires and a crash it could alert 911. Hmmm
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02-06-2003, 11:27 PM
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Swami
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 4,396
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jonathan1
Huh? It works on all guns not just shotguns. This is cool but really sounds impractical to be implemented in PDAs. With the exception that it can determine the make\model of the gun. That would be useful in determining if you are dealing with ton o firepower or not.
I could however see this implemented in streetlights using WIFI. Place it every 1/2 mile or so in a city. It wouldn't be as big brotherish as say a video monitoring system since its only designed to monitor gunshot signatures. Of course there are other practical applications as well. How about car crashes? As soon as it detects the squealing of the tires and a crash it could alert 911. Hmmm
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Some tech news show (maybe "Tomorrow's World" on TechTV) did a piece on this a few months ago. Redwood City, California, has acoustic detectors scattered about the city to localize gunfire. They report to some central facility.
The problem I have with this is that, by the time officers respond, the shooters could be far away. It might work well for domestic violence, but less so for gang drive-bys. The story did say that shootings had been reduced, though.
The Pocket PC version would help officers who hear a gunshot find the scene faster, I think, maybe even fast enough to catch the shooters.
Steve
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02-07-2003, 12:16 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,329
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Steve,
The shooter may be gone but having such an instantaneous alert system could get medical attention to a victim faster then someone phoning in a shooting. This could potentially save lives. I wonder how much this type of tech costs? As for the PDA version. You'd have to have some seriously sensitive microphones, all on a PDA, to pick up a gunshot that could be some distance away while filtering out normal city background noise. I wonder statistically how close an officer is usually to a shooting. Hmmm
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02-07-2003, 01:00 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 383
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Maybe those PDA's could be equipped so that instead of informing the officers, it'd take aim and shoot the bad guy automatically.
This would naturally relieve the workload of police and they'd have more time to eat donuts while playing solitaire on their PPC.
/jizmo
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02-07-2003, 05:58 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 192
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The PDA is only used as location mapper...the gunshot itself is detected by a device on a power pole or other location that sends it acoustic information to a central location. The central location sends mapping info and gunshot detail to the PDAs (although not mentioned, one could suppose the data going to car mounted PCs or laptops, dispatch computers, WAP devices or even pagers). It's not really the PDA part that's cool as much as the specially tuned acoustic reciever and sound signature data file.
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02-07-2003, 06:34 AM
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Swami
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 4,396
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Locating Gunshots
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Originally Posted by Terry
The PDA is only used as location mapper...the gunshot itself is detected by a device on a power pole or other location that sends it acoustic information to a central location. The central location sends mapping info and gunshot detail to the PDAs (although not mentioned, one could suppose the data going to car mounted PCs or laptops, dispatch computers, WAP devices or even pagers). It's not really the PDA part that's cool as much as the specially tuned acoustic reciever and sound signature data file.
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That makes a lot more sense. I couldn't figure out how a PDA could figure out where a gunshot came from accurately. With acoustic sensors spread over a town, you can triangulate to find where the sound originated from.
With a PDA-only mechanism, there would be no way to accurately localize the sound. An echo off of a building would point the officer in the wrong direction.
Steve
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02-12-2003, 06:00 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 480
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Technological advances such as this one may seem beneficial on the outside; however, I fear that they bring us closer to an Orwellian society in which we must watch our speech to ensure we do not arouse governmental suspicion. While this invasion of privacy might cut down on crime, how far will this go? When will the proposal be made to extend travesties of the Fifth Amendment like project Escholon, which monitors all phone conversations for keywords, to the streets of America through technologies like this. How many more sacrifices will be made in the name of national security? I fear our society is becoming analogous to that of the Borg from Star Trek: They have perfect national security, yet, have no individual thought. While they are perfectly safe from crime and outside threat, is being a mindless drone a desirable state of living?
It is understandable that governmental agencies such as the new Homeland Security bureau would want as much power and the most advanced technology they can get their hands on, but it is the government�s and citizen�s duty to keep them in check. What I wonder, however, is how large of a responsibility do the companies that design this equipment have? Do corporations such as this one have a moral obligation to ensure that their technology is not used to detect words and phrases like �Bush is an idiot, I hope he gets impeached?� and �political protest�? Do companies have an ethical duty to halt development of projects that allow governments to track their citizens as they go through their daily lives? I believe they do.
source: www.pdajunkie.net
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02-12-2003, 11:07 PM
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Swami
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 4,396
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Security
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Originally Posted by seanturner
Technological advances such as this one may seem beneficial on the outside; however, I fear that they bring us closer to an Orwellian society in which we must watch our speech to ensure we do not arouse governmental suspicion. While this invasion of privacy might cut down on crime, how far will this go?
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Is finding out where a gun is fired really invading somebody's privacy? Did I miss the Constitutional Amendment allowing Freedom of Domestic Violence and Drive-By Shootings?
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Originally Posted by seanturner
When will the proposal be made to extend travesties of the Fifth Amendment like project Escholon, which monitors all phone conversations for keywords, to the streets of America through technologies like this.
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If you're going to criticize the project, you might want to get its name right. It's "Echelon", and, if you're worried about it, the ACLU administers an Echelon Watch Web site.
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Originally Posted by seanturner
How many more sacrifices will be made in the name of national security? I fear our society is becoming analogous to that of the Borg from Star Trek: They have perfect national security, yet, have no individual thought. While they are perfectly safe from crime and outside threat, is being a mindless drone a desirable state of living?
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(Insert theme from "The Twilight Zone" here.)
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Originally Posted by seanturner
It is understandable that governmental agencies such as the new Homeland Security bureau would want as much power and the most advanced technology they can get their hands on, but it is the government�s and citizen�s duty to keep them in check.
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Actually, one of the government's primary duties is to ensure the safety of its citizens, so this seems like a reasonable initiative.
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Originally Posted by U.S. Constitution
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
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This system will help "insure domestic Tranquility" and possibly "provide for the common defense". I do agree that these can sometimes conflict with the goal to "secure the Blessings of Liberty", though.
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Originally Posted by seanturner
Do companies have an ethical duty to halt development of projects that allow governments to track their citizens as they go through their daily lives? I believe they do.
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Sadly, most corporations only have a duty to their stockholders.
Steve
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