How​ ​technology​ ​could​ ​stop​ ​mass​ ​shooting​ ​like​ ​the​ ​Las​ ​Vegas​ ​Strip​ ​attack?

(Note: This is a short narrative which appeared in the 'Innovative Science' pages of a leading software company in Kerala - Webandcrafts.com, Info Park, Thrissur. We are sure that our FB friends are not just eaters and curers only but powerful advanced people who likes to think on their own. Team Food Graphics)

After​ ​being​ ​totally​ ​devastated​ ​and​ ​terribly​ ​saddened​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Route​ ​91​ ​Harvest​ ​Concert​ ​terror attack,​ ​we​ ​-​ ​a​ ​group​ ​of​ ​electronics​ ​and​ ​computer​ ​engineers​ ​at​ ​Webandcrafts(website​ ​link)​ ​with the​ ​guidance​ ​from​ ​Australia​ ​based​ ​tech​ ​expert​ ​Nikhil​ ​Mathew​ ​(FB​ ​link),​ ​brainstormed​ ​about​ ​how to​ ​protect​ ​innocent​ ​people​ ​from​ ​a​ ​similar​ ​attack​ ​in​ ​future.

It​ ​took​ ​over​ ​an​ ​hour​ ​for​ ​the​ ​law​ ​enforcement​ ​team​ ​to​ ​track​ ​down​ ​and​ ​engage​ ​the​ ​attacker at​ ​the​ ​Mandalay​ ​Bay​ ​hotel,​ ​by​ ​which​ ​time​ ​he​ ​had​ ​already​ ​emptied​ ​his​ ​entire​ ​ammo​ ​on​ ​the innocent​ ​crowd.

The​ ​thought​ ​that​ ​several​ ​precious​ ​lives​ ​could​ ​have​ ​been​ ​saved​ ​if​ ​the​ ​gunman​ ​could​ ​have​ ​been spotted​ ​faster,​ ​presented​ ​us​ ​with​ ​this​ ​challenge.

How​ ​to​ ​find​ ​a​ ​shooter​ ​in​ ​the​ ​dark,​ ​firing​ ​from​ ​well​ ​over​ ​a​ ​1000​ ​feet?

Here’s​ ​what​ ​we​ ​found​ ​-​ ​with​ ​the​ ​proper​ ​combined​ ​application​ ​of​ ​technologies​ ​that​ ​are​ ​readily available,​ ​such​ ​a​ ​shooter​ ​could​ ​be​ ​spotted​ ​and​ ​stopped​ ​within​ ​around​ ​10​ ​to​ ​15​ ​seconds!

The​ ​loud​ ​continuous​ ​firing​ ​sound​ ​was​ ​the​ ​only​ ​indication​ ​that​ ​something​ ​horrible​ ​is​ ​going on​ ​before​ ​people​ ​started​ ​getting​ ​hit​ ​by​ ​the​ ​bullets.

Finding​ ​the​ ​origin​ ​of​ ​the​ ​gunshot​ ​from​ ​triangulation​ ​of​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​has​ ​been​ ​around​ ​for​ ​several years​ ​and​ ​can​ ​be​ ​pretty​ ​accurate​ ​with​ ​the​ ​availability​ ​of​ ​advanced​ ​DSP​ ​systems​ ​for​ ​real-time processing​ ​of​ ​input​ ​from​ ​a​ ​microphone​ ​array.

Microphone​ ​array​ ​that​ ​works​ ​with

a​ ​DSP​ ​and​ ​Artificial​ ​neural​ ​networks​ ​to triangulate​ ​the​ ​gunshot​ ​position​ ​and​ ​distance.

Artificial​ ​neural​ ​networks​ ​can​ ​isolate​ ​and​ ​compare​ ​the​ ​pattern​ ​of​ ​sound​ ​with​ ​previously memorized​ ​sound​ ​samples​ ​with​ ​high​ ​accuracy​ ​even​ ​in​ ​a​ ​noisy​ ​environment.

Even​ ​with​ ​a​ ​suppressor​ ​attached​ ​to​ ​the​ ​gun,​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​will​ ​be​ ​still​ ​loud​ ​enough​ ​for​ ​the​ ​sensors to​ ​accurately​ ​determine​ ​the​ ​direction​ ​and​ ​distance​ ​of​ ​the​ ​shooter.

We​ ​analyzed​ ​the​ ​audio​ ​from​ ​the​ ​first​ ​burst​ ​of​ ​firing​ ​(120​ ​rounds​ ​at​ ​around​ ​12​ ​rounds​ ​per​ ​second) and​ ​found​ ​that​ ​the​ ​isolation​ ​of​ ​the​ ​sound​ ​of​ ​gunshots​ ​from​ ​other​ ​background​ ​noise​ ​is​ ​easily achievable.

These​ ​systems​ ​are​ ​capable​ ​of​ ​tracking​ ​multiple​ ​sources​ ​simultaneously​ ​in​ ​case​ ​of​ ​more​ ​than one​ ​attacker.

Such​ ​large​ ​gatherings​ ​must​ ​be​ ​secured​ ​with​ ​one​ ​or​ ​more​ ​tactical​ ​police​ ​vehicle​ ​fitted​ ​with​ ​such gunfire​ ​locator​ ​system​ ​which​ ​could​ ​automatically​ ​control​ ​the​ ​azimuth​ ​and​ ​elevation​ ​of​ ​the motorized​ ​primary​ ​weapon​ ​pointing​ ​to​ ​the​ ​exact​ ​source​ ​of​ ​the​ ​firing.

A​ ​searchlight​ ​and​ ​laser​ ​beam​ ​fitted​ ​to​ ​the​ ​primary​ ​weapon​ ​would​ ​help​ ​faster​ ​targeting​ ​and​ ​to stun/warn​ ​the​ ​attacker.

Since​ ​the​ ​searchlight​ ​and​ ​laser​ ​beam​ ​would​ ​draw​ ​the​ ​attention​ ​of​ ​the​ ​shooter​ ​to​ ​the​ ​equipment, bulletproof​ ​glass​ ​shields​ ​should​ ​be​ ​put​ ​to​ ​use​ ​to​ ​protect​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​equipment​ ​and​ ​the​ ​operator. The​ ​bullets​ ​firing​ ​out​ ​of​ ​a​ ​gun​ ​are​ ​pretty​ ​hot​ ​and​ ​would​ ​lit​ ​up​ ​well​ ​in​ ​an​ ​advanced​ ​thermal camera​ ​and​ ​this​ ​could​ ​be​ ​used​ ​as​ ​an​ ​aid​ ​for​ ​accurate​ ​targeting.

Thermal​ ​camera​ ​will​ ​enable​ ​using​ ​covert​ ​Infrared​ ​searchlights​ ​instead​ ​of​ ​visible​ ​ones,​ ​allowing to​ ​operate​ ​without​ ​inviting​ ​attacker’s​ ​attention.

Highspeed​ ​thermal​ ​cameras​ ​can​ ​capture​ ​the​ ​bullet​ ​as​ ​it​ ​leaves​ ​the​ ​gun​ ​at​ ​a​ ​very​ ​high temperature.

In​ ​cases​ ​where​ ​a​ ​clean​ ​headshot​ ​is​ ​either​ ​impossible​ ​or​ ​cannot​ ​be​ ​achieved​ ​safely,​ ​a​ ​fleet​ ​of drones​ ​equipped​ ​with​ ​disabling​ ​measures​ ​could​ ​be​ ​deployed​ ​and​ ​guided​ ​with​ ​minuscule versions​ ​of​ ​gunfire​ ​locator​ ​or​ ​controlled​ ​remotely​ ​by​ ​the​ ​mother​ ​unit​ ​to​ ​approach​ ​the​ ​source​ ​of the​ ​gunfire.

Since​ ​taking​ ​a​ ​direct​ ​flight​ ​path​ ​involves​ ​the​ ​risk​ ​of​ ​getting​ ​shot​ ​down,​ ​drones​ ​can​ ​be programmed​ ​to​ ​take​ ​an​ ​elevated​ ​path​ ​and​ ​take​ ​the​ ​attacker​ ​in​ ​surprise.

Such​ ​drones​ ​can​ ​be​ ​used​ ​for​ ​video​ ​analysis​ ​of​ ​the​ ​attacker​ ​and​ ​his​ ​surroundings​ ​and​ ​also​ ​for the​ ​deployment​ ​of​ ​non-lethal​ ​countermeasures​ ​such​ ​as​ ​pepper​ ​spray,​ ​​ ​tear​ ​gas​ ​or​ ​teaser.

A​ ​high​ ​power​ ​megaphone​ ​on​ ​the​ ​mother​ ​unit​ ​and​ ​on​ ​the​ ​drones​ ​can​ ​be​ ​useful​ ​to​ ​warn​ ​the​ ​other occupants​ ​of​ ​the​ ​building​ ​to​ ​move​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​windows,​ ​stay​ ​low​ ​and​ ​take​ ​cover​ ​in​ ​case​ ​a counterstrike​ ​is​ ​unavoidable.

How​ ​hard​ ​would​ ​it​ ​be​ ​to​ ​put​ ​all​ ​of​ ​these​ ​together?

Not​ ​very​ ​hard​ ​at​ ​all.​ ​Almost​ ​all​ ​of​ ​these​ ​pieces​ ​of​ ​technology​ ​are​ ​already​ ​in​ ​place,​ ​some​ ​of​ ​them utilized​ ​for​ ​military​ ​purposes.

How​ ​long​ ​would​ ​it​ ​take​ ​to​ ​get​ ​something​ ​like​ ​this​ ​ready​ ​for​ ​action?

Since​ ​most​ ​of​ ​these​ ​pieces​ ​of​ ​technology​ ​are​ ​tested​ ​and​ ​proved​ ​on​ ​its​ ​own,​ ​it​ ​wouldn't​ ​take more​ ​than​ ​a​ ​few​ ​days,​ ​if​ ​not​ ​hours​ ​to​ ​put​ ​it​ ​all​ ​together​ ​and​ ​see​ ​it​ ​in​ ​live​ ​action.

How​ ​much​ ​would​ ​these​ ​cost?

Not​ ​costly​ ​at​ ​all​ ​when​ ​considering​ ​the​ ​millions​ ​to​ ​be​ ​spent​ ​on​ ​medical​ ​expenses​ ​of​ ​the​ ​injured and​ ​the​ ​invaluable​ ​lives​ ​lost.

What​ ​good​ ​is​ ​finding​ ​a​ ​gunman​ ​after​ ​a​ ​shooting​ ​has​ ​commenced​ ​and​ ​some​ ​people​ ​already​ ​lost their​ ​lives?

Obviously,​ ​it​ ​would​ ​stop​ ​more​ ​people​ ​getting​ ​injured​ ​and​ ​killed,​ ​but​ ​on​ ​a​ ​psychological​ ​level,​ ​the presence​ ​of​ ​such​ ​a​ ​high-tech​ ​equipment​ ​at​ ​the​ ​site​ ​and​ ​realization​ ​that​ ​the​ ​attacker​ ​would​ ​be killed​ ​within​ ​first​ ​few​ ​seconds​ ​would​ ​discourage​ ​any​ ​more​ ​evil​ ​people​ ​from​ ​trying​ ​another copycat​ ​attack.