Smart Bullets

Civilian deaths due to firearms are a worldwide problem--specially in the USA. The lack of visionary leadership, deliberately curtailed research funding, cultural issues, and politics make a viable solution difficult in the USA. We propose a solution which tweaks ammunition to better regulate firearms instead of criminalizing/confiscating/exchanging guns. We propose inserting chips into the primer sections of civilian ammunition for its' remote detection. If detected inside "No Fire Zones," the chip disrupts the firing sequence to disable ammunition. This proposal reduces the danger posed by civilian guns without requiring gun-bans/replacements, or endangering law enforcement--they use regular ammunition. It will save lives in schools, churches, malls, public-events, and better enforce protective-orders to save lives of mostly women by providing a NO FIRE ZONE about them or in their homes. Our proposal does not limit self-defense, hunting or recreational use of firearms by singling out civilian use.

The specific problem we have solved is that posed by firearms due to their unauthorized/improper use. The firearm related civilian death rate is 25X higher in the USA than other high-income nations--demonstrating room for improvement. The targets have been kindergartners, women, mall-visitors, students, and bystanders. This problem affects all communities, towns, and cities. In the US, firearms are the second leading cause of death or injury to teens and children. Nearly 2/3 of suicides are gun deaths. About 58% of Americans have been affected by gun violence or know someone who has. The traditional personal liberty, property rights, and the right to bear arms in the US makes gun violence a difficult problem to solve with few willing to bell the cat.

Strategies short of banning guns outright have been tried but have been ineffective. These include licensing of guns, banning automatic/semiautomatic guns, background-checks, waiting-periods, and screening for firearms. The net result has been a small change in firearm related deaths at best. The paucity of federal funding makes the problem that much harder to tackle technically. Presently, the absence of a solution to gun violence continues to adversely impact the mental and physical health of communities.

We aim to protect the civilians/communities in the US and abroad from firearm-related violence. The segment of the population likely to most benefit comprises women—usually killed by their partners—and innocent victims of unprovoked attacks. Children as young as kindergartners have been executed in mass shootings—and by accidental gun discharges. The American people value their personal liberties including the right to bear arms and the need for self-defense. Thus, these counterarguments and cultural reasons make outlawing guns in the US impossible/impractical. Our solution does not interfere with the ownership of firearms, but instead makes their storage safer, makes it easier to detect firearms remotely, and provides a better way to enforce protective-orders/judicial-orders prohibiting gun possession or use. 

Our solution also serves those dedicated to ensure the right to bear arms, preserving the life, liberty, property, and safety of other individuals by preserving those aspects by modulating its reliability in a context sensitive manner while avoiding radical changes in the legal landscape. 

Further, the use of the cellular networks by our solution will justify improvements in the quality/reliability of such infrastructure for security reasons to benefit the civilian economy.

Our proposed solution modifies civilian ammunition to allow it to be inactivated or made less reliable in a place and time-sensitive manner to help define a NO FIRE ZONE. Civilian ammunition typically comprises three sections. The first is the primer section, containing a primer compound that is ignited by the hammer strike. The resulting flash is transmitted to the next section housing the propellant (e.g., gunpowder) via a flash vent. The gunpowder turns into a hot gas propelling the third section, the bullet, down the barrel of the gun. If the flash vent is blocked the entire firing sequence is disrupted and a dud results. We propose redesigning the primer section by introducing a mm-scale addressable chip and valve controlling the flash vent and/or modifying the manner in which the hammer ignites the primer compound to disrupt the firing sequence on command. In view of the metal jacket with its RF shielding, the communication with the ammunition can be via ultrasonic signals using a device like a Smartphone or a dedicated device to act as a bridge between the cellular network and the ammunition. This setup also allows steady improvements to be made to the system by improving the code.
The needed technical advances have been made in implementation of the GPS system, cellular networks, and 911 service and in fabrication skills. We propose integrating these capabilities with a chip inside the primer section of ammunition. The chip communicates via ultrasonic signals with an external device (could be a smartphone) to link up with the cellular network. The fabrication capability for such small chips using ultrasonic signals exists--they have already been built under DARPA sponsorship at, for instance, the University of California at Berkeley. But these have not been applied to improving gun safety. The US army has integrated networked ammunition to make smart munitions that include control over the firing sequence as well as telemetry capabilities over secure encrypted links. However, these capability have not been used to make civilian firearms safer. In our integration we propose implementing NO FIRE ZONES in which civilian munitions will not reliably complete their firing sequence.
Further, outside of a NO FIRE ZONE, in a firearm driven rampage/confrontation our setup allows law enforcement to remotely deactivate the ammunition, thus disrupting a mass shooting or a confrontation without first engaging in a fire fight. 

Most components required for Smart Bullets already exist. We propose integrating these technologies and capabilities to make civilian ammunition safer for all--not just to prevent mass shootings but also to safely store firearms, and enforce protective/court orders. This is a novel application of technologies originally developed for military, biological, or other applications. Some of them are described next.

It is known that ultrasonic wave based communications are directional and consume very little power when implemented in mm-sized devices. Such devices have been built for other applications with support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Example publications are "Construction and performance of an Ultrasound responsive smartdust device http://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(16)30344-0" and a more friendly article " Neural Smartdust https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/neural-dust-could-enable-a-fitbit-for-the-nervous-system/."  

Military munitions like smart bombs include telemetry, use encrypted communicated links, and sport modifications to their firing sequences including the capability to customize them for a particular task.

High volume encrypted communications are a daily reality in banking and credit card based transactions. They scale well to work with Smart Bullets.

Coded communications suitable for simpler processors preferred in primer sections are known (rolling codes of e.g. garage openers). Later more sophisticated remote car locks rolling codes may be implemented. Smart Bullets include encrypted telemetry capabilities and modified firing sequences with simpler short distance rolling codes. 

The core technologies are making ultra low power consuming mm-scale chips and networking while in a primer section of a round of ammunition. The chip is securely addressed with ultrasonic signals preferably using low computational power consuming rolling codes. A bridge, possibly implemented within a magazine/smartphone, provides encrypted links/bridge to the cellular and network and GPS signals.

Networkable Smart Dust mm-scale chips are almost 20 years old but they have not found a major application yet.

The proposed Smart Dust chips operate MEMS fabricated gates to prevent the flash from the primer section igniting the powder. In a Normally Closed microValve (NCV) configuration a signal is required to open it while in a Normally Open microValve (NOV) configuration a signal closes the valve. NOV better replicates the familiar firearm experience but NCV is preferred. In addition, the very generation of a flash in the primer section is prevented on command using minimal power. It is possible to operate the NOV or NCV within milliseconds even with low-power to prevent a round from firing.

Thus, the core technology proposed is to use MEMS techniques to help fabricate the networkable primer section of ammunition containing micro-valves/Smart Dust along with software to define and manage NO FIRE ZONES.

Our solution is the only proposed one--as far as we know--that actually allows shutting down civilian weapons even in the middle of a shooting or an altercation and to prevent use of civilian guns where prohibited. And it is the only one that does not require confiscating guns etc. Further, it recognizes that firearm use by law enforcement and the military is already highly regulated. It poses minimal issues and the attention ought to be on civilian use of firearms. This overcomes the major cultural, legal, and political hurdle faced by firearm regulation. Once the prototype is built and demonstrated, the legal, cultural, financial problems in effective firearm regulation will be manageable instead of the familiar morass. 

We believe the success of this initiative will justify the Congress in requiring all civilian ammunition to include Smart Bullets functionality.

As an example, in an altercation with police present training in the US is to allow a shoot to kill policy if any threat is perceived. The ability to disable civilian ammunition in the vicinity will allow changes that will save lives. Similarly, women are the most common target of firearm violence. Even protective orders are ineffective in protecting them from armed attackers. This technology will help make civilian ammunition ineffective in the vicinity--if desired by the potential target of gun violence. Similar benefits attach to storage of firearms leading to accidental discharges. And, then there is the ability to disrupt a mass shooting or even prevent one from happening.

Currently we are not serving anyone because in order to get our idea put into action building of a prototype has to be funded. 

In one year we will have collaborations for testing and fabrication set up. This will immediately affect the people we would work alongside. This would be in addition to energizing the debate on regulating firearms and providing hope for actually regulating them meaningfully in the USA and abroad.

In five years our solution following the integration of these scalable technologies ought to be in place in at least the coastal states, affecting  millions or even hundreds of millions of people. 

Most importantly, we will be serving the silent unwilling victims of gun violence--the women. They, are left in the lurch by most approaches. Smart Bullets balance privacy and safety as well as individual control over their own space. 

A homeowner owns their privacy rights--or better controls them. So, defining a no-fire zone by the homeowner poses no issues.
Restricting a homeowner from being able to use a firearm--say due to a police order raises potential privacy and Fourth Amendment issues. These are addressed by (i) consent; (ii) the nature of the intrusion--being to only prevent the firing of a weapon rather than collect information about the weapon and the like. Commands to prevent or permit firing of a weapon are different from commands that identify or locate ammunition in a private area. The latter are disabled in the absence of a court order. 

Within the next year we would like to have a prototype built with most of the specifications worked out as well as drafts for new legislation to put our solution into place. 

Ideally our solution would become the norm in countries around the world, affecting millions, but that is a longer-term goal. 

We need funding to build the prototype. Possible locations are Rutgers University chip fabrication facility, MIT itself, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University of California at Berkeley, and and best of all, a  combination of such institutions and more as interest and funding increases for various aspects of Smart Bullets.

In five years we want our solution to be implemented in the coastal states along the East Coast and the West Coast with most states joining a determined push to tackle and overcome gun violence.

We need money and credibility. Our solution requires funding to help with the building and testing of the prototype.

The second major barrier is of access to people and facilities required to make and test the prototype.

The next barrier is the legal one with privacy rights, Second Amendment rights and other political issues coming to the fore.

The last major barrier is the cultural barrier.

The fabrication of the newly designed chips is the expensive initial step requiring leadership with foresight to take up the task with private money to overcome the funding ban imposed on Federal funds in the USA. Till this step is taken, it is not possible to meaningfully address gun violence in the USA. All other 'solutions' have been tried and have been woefully wanting. 

There are legal and cultural issues. These can  be overcome with the demonstration of a prototype. If Smart Bullets idea takes off we would need to help draft the legislation to take implement our solution. 

Culturally there is stigma in the United States regarding gun control with a sharp divide of opinions. We believe Smart Bullets dodge these concerns. They allow people to keep their guns and use them while being safer, which is exactly what we need. 

We expect the success of this submission in raising money and thus attracting the required and much needed attention will help overcome these barriers.

Access to people and facilities required to make and test the prototype will be greatly improved with State Consortia taking serious interest in the Smart Bullet approach. Our efforts in the past have foundered due to our financially weak state as individual citizens.

The next barrier is the legal one with privacy rights, Second Amendment rights and other political issues coming to the fore. For instance, it is possible to define a no-fire zone in the home. This is the approach to better enforce protective orders. Further, with processing power provided by Smart Bullets, authentication to allow only the homeowner's gun to operate while blocking the rest is possible. Our first generation prototype is tentatively does not plan to include this functionality in view of other challenges. However, it is not ruled out and is a highly desired feature.

The last major barrier is the cultural barrier. Americans have mostly been welcoming of technology and of leadership roles in the world. Smart Bullets give them exactly that. We believe that the novelty of Smart Bullets together with its preservation of the American sense of history and cultural approach will quickly win over more than enough folks.

We are a small team--normally disfavored by MIT Solve. But, we have big ideas worthy of being pursued and funded. 
Here it requires some leadership to fairly consider our approach because there is no other viable approach out there--and technologies we propose to use are in existence.
We have applied for patents to cover our approach.

Three

We have thought through various permutations and problems as well as the future generation of Smart Bullets.

For instance, gun violence is remarkably high in the US even though other nations like Israel and Switzerland give their citizens far more experience with guns.

We have approached the gun violence problem as being one that adversely affects cities/communities around the world. We ourselves take precautions in approaching crowded events in major cities like New York for reasons related to the low probability but psychologically damaging nature of such gun violence events.
At a minimum, the 'cities' to benefit first would be the ones anchoring major metropolitan areas. In addition, inner cities with insufficiently policed population will be able to implement No Fire Zones that not only prevent firearms but also attract law enforcement to shootings way faster than do 911 calls. This is because even trying to fire a gun in an area where no firing is allowed is a highly actionable event. In effect, our approach also allows rolling out of rapid feedback to gun violence events by distinguishing them from other types of calls. This is Artificial Intelligence in the service of the community. Ever more sophisticated response algorithms implementing AI strategies and expert systems are expected once our solution is implemented.

We would like to partner with MIT or University of California at Berkeley. No partnership is there at present. Another possibility is NJIT but their gun violence addressing team got dismantled due to the cut-off in funding.

Our business model envisages a multi-stage effort to develop/deploy Smart Bullets. This effort will not only address a problem specially affecting the USA, but will also create exports and desirable US jobs. We will license our patents covering the Smart Bullets technology at a low rate. With 12 billion rounds of ammunition sold each year in the USA, even a penny per round of ammunition additional revenue amounts to 120 million dollars a year justifying this effort as eventually commercially profitable for recovering investments.

The first stage is to generate seed funding for this effort over the next several years using submissions like this one, our patents, grants, and venture capital investments. With funding for about three years or more, it will be possible to enter into collaborations with institutions having expertise in mm-scale chip fabrication by creating graduate student level positions to make and test prototypes. 

The second stage is to demonstrate the prototypes. This will create the required pressure to make NO FIRE ZONES implementation a political goal--and not a mere technical possibility.

The third stage is to require that all civilian ammunition imported or sold in the US implement Smart Bullets technology. Naturally, this requires congressional action. Such action is likely with working prototypes.

The fourth and final stage will be the transition to Smart Bullets technology with ammunition manufacturers changing the already automated manufacturing of primer sections to turn out Smart Bullets compliant primer sections. This will naturally require capital investments.

The immediate goal is to raise credible funding that can be supplemented by various State consortia targeting gun-violence, private foundations, and venture capital. The success of this submission in raising serious money is critical to this effort to demonstrate Smart Bullets technology. We expect to bring in money from donations, investments, and grants to first construct a prototype. 

The 12 billion rounds of ammunition sold each year in the USA with even a penny per round of ammunition amounts to additional revenues of 120 million dollars a year. Actually, about 500 million dollars of additional annual revenue may be possible as Smart Bullets technology makes it into all civilian ammunition.

Changes in ammunition have taken place in the past--usually by attrition--to implement better primers, propellents, and designs. The lability of the explosive compounds results in ammunition expiring in about ten years. Older ammunition is also less reliable. With Smart Bullets an exchange program will speed up its adoption when coupled with restrictions on the import/manufacture of non-conforming ammunition sold to civilians. With an estimated 12 billion rounds sold each year--there are about four hundred million firearms in the USA--an exchange program would cost less than about sixty billion dollars. Folks favoring legacy ammunition will fire it off while resisting Smart Bullets. With several billion rounds fired each year, few rounds would actually be exchanged lowering the cost.

Smart Bullets will likely become the standard for civilian ammunition worldwide creating an export market with US setting the standards.

We are applying to solve because it can provide us with a financial means to fund and jumpstart our solution. This forum also provides contacts who can help us implement our better than what we can manage by ourselves. The exposure provided by MIT Solve to successful submissions is priceless in such contexts. Receiving seed money to get the ball rolling on our prototype is our first major step, and Solve can immensely help us with it.

Indeed, these are the very type of tough problems Solve is meant to tackle and help solve.

We would like to partner with Everytown for Gun Safety as well as possibly the NRA. Although it seems like a long shot, our solution meets most of both sides demands and having their support would only elevate our solution. 

We treat gun violence as both a technical and political problem. This new perspective allowed us to explore how to use one (the technical side) to create a political solution by meeting the objections to restrictions on guns head-on. Military and police owned firearms are not the problem because their use is highly regulated. Very few casualties in normal civilian contexts are caused by them. 

We also realized that legacy guns are valuable property and history as is gun use a part of our culture. Thus, preserving them in a solution was important to make the solution politically and culturally viable.
In order to make the case we realize that there is a chicken and the egg problem. Even DARPA cannot back research leading to the building of prototypes due to a ban of federal funding. Most state efforts--including by state consortiums--are not directed at meaningful funding of technical solutions.

We wish to partner with University of California at Berkeley, MIT, Rutgers, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Smart Dust fabricating companies and facilities. Dr. Pister, the inventor of Smart Dust, is a natural candidate leader.
Therefore, demonstrating the viable technical Smart Bullets solution needs private backing and leadership at private foundations and groups. 

Smart Bullets approach provides processing power at the level of firearms for even legacy firearms. This is the basic requirement for implementing AI algorithms. Smart Bullets also naturally creates decision making contexts that require integration of a lot of information for making fast decisions. This is natural AI territory.

We have approached the gun violence problem as being one that adversely affects cities/communities around the world.
At a minimum, the 'cities' to benefit first would be the once anchoring major metropolitan areas. In addition, inner cities with insufficiently policed population will be able to implement No Fire Zones that not only prevent firearms but also attract law enforcement to shootings way faster than do 911 calls. This requires AI for implementing a No Fire Zone because exceptions need to be made for a property owner's firearms as well as authentication that is preferably context sensitive.

Even trying to fire a gun in an area where no firing is allowed is a highly actionable event. In effect, our approach also allows rolling out of rapid feedback to gun violence events by distinguishing them from other types of calls. This is Artificial Intelligence in the service of the community. Ever more sophisticated response algorithms implementing AI strategies and expert systems will continue to be developed expected once Smart Bullets are implemented.

Smart Guns and other approaches to regulate firearms moistly ignore the favored targets of gun violence: women. After or with suicides, they dominate the numbers as victims. The best solution to benefit them has been the 'cooling off period'. But this is useful only for those buying a gun in a nation of just over 300 million with almost 400 million guns already in private hands. Not surprisingly, women are some of the most affected persons of gun violence in just America. They are killed by partners and random men constantly, and our solution will specifically help combat this. In 15 states, more than 40 percent of all homicides of women in each state involved intimate partner violence. In 36 states, more than 50 percent of intimate partner-related homicides of women in each state involved a gun. Not only that, but every single day in the United States, five women are murdered with guns

Clearly a better approach is needed. Smart Bullets implementing NO FIRE ZONES is just such an approach. Part of it was developed to address the violence directed at women.

A woman owns her privacy. So, defining a NO FIRE ZONE by and about a woman homeowner is a needed capability. We distinguish between commands to prevent or permit firing of a weapon and commands that identify or locate ammunition in a private area. The latter are disabled in the absence of a court order or private enabling (to identify potential threats).

We treat gun violence as both a technical and political problem rather than two or more mostly independent problems. This new perspective that allowed us to explore how to use one (the technical side) to create a political solution by meeting the objections to gun restrictions head-on. We realized that legacy guns are valuable property and history as is gun use a part of our culture. Thus, preserving them in a solution was important to make the solution politically and culturally viable. In order to make the case we realize that there is a chicken and the egg problem with most state efforts--including by state consortiums--not directed at meaningful funding for developing and testing technical solutions. 

Demonstrating a viable technical solution needs private backing. At present, private foundations and groups have to shoulder this burden before a clean argument can be made for public funding. 

In view of the mass shootings even in nations like Sweden and Australia, it is likely that once developed/deployed, the Smart Bullet technology will be adopted around the world. What holds this back is leadership. 

Privacy issues are not a hurdle with Smart Bullets. This solution locates and controls civilian guns by using a bridge facility that links with the ammunition and with the cellular network. No data beyond that kept with cell phones is required. Further, links transmit encrypted information and most of the algorithms required are GPS sensitive with no need to send that information outside.