PROFILPELAJAR.COM

TrackingPoint
Company type	Private
Industry	Applied technology
Founded	2011
Founder	John McHale
Headquarters	Austin, Texas, United States
Website	tracking-point.com

TrackingPoint is an applied technology company based in Austin, Texas. In 2011, it created a long-range rifle system that was the first precision guided firearm.^[1]^[2]

Formed by John McHale in February 2011, the company created its first PGF prototype in March 2011. The company offered its first product in January 2013^[3] and a second, the AR Series semi-automatic smart rifle, in January 2014.^[4]

Variants of the company's bolt-action rifles use .338 Lapua Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum ammunition. Semi-automatic variants are available in 7.62 NATO, 5.56 NATO and .300 BLK.

In September 2016, the company began selling the M1400, a squad-level .338 Lapua bolt-action rifle that can hit targets out to 1,400 yards (1,280 m). It can also acquire and hit targets traveling at 20 mph (32 km/h) within 2.5 seconds. The rifle is 45 in (110 cm) long with a 22 in (560 mm) barrel, weighing 15.4 lb (7.0 kg). It can be used with the company's ShotGlass wearable glasses that transmits what the scope is seeing to the shooter's eye.^[5]^[6]

In January 2014, the U.S. Army purchased six TrackingPoint fire control systems to begin exploring purported key target acquisition and aiming technologies.^[7] The Army has integrated the system onto the XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle for military testing.^[8]

In 2018, TrackingPoint introduced the ShadowTrak 6 bolt-action rifle with 6.5 mm Creedmoor cartridge that can hit targets out to 1,000 yards (914 m), and can hit targets traveling at 20 mph (32 km/h) in 1 second. Weighing 14.6 lb (6.6 kg), it can fire Hornady ammunition; the 147gr ELD-M (a match type bullet) or the 143gr ELD-X (designed for hunting).^{[citation needed]}

In November 2018, Talon Precision Optics, of Jacksonville, Florida, bought TrackingPoint.^[9]

Technology

TrackingPoint's precision guided firearms system uses several component technologies:

Networked Tracking Scope: The core engine that tracks the target, calculates range and the ballistic solution, and works in concert with the shooter and guided trigger to release the shot.^[10]^[11]
Barrel Reference System: A fixed reference point that enables the networked tracking scope to make adjustments and retain zero over time. The barrel reference system is factory calibrated to a laser reference.^[12]
Guided to Trigger: The rifle's trigger is hard-wired to the networked tracking scope. The networked tracking scope controls the trigger weight to eliminate trigger squeeze and shot timing errors.^[13]
Field Software Upgradeable: Software can be uploaded to the scope to add capability.^[14]
Heads Up Display (HUD): The HUD indicates range, wind, reticle, video storage gauge, zoom, and battery life, plus LRF icon, Wi-Fi on/off icon, compass icon, cant wheel, inclination wheels and off-screen indicators.^[10]^[15]
Recording: An integrated camera captures video and still images from the networked tracking scope and heads up display. Recorded images can be downloaded to a smartphone or tablet from the scope and transmitted via email or social media.^[16]

Vulnerabilities

In 2017, computer security experts Runa Sandvik and Michael Auger demonstrated that naive software design left the rifle's aiming computer open to remote hacking when its Wi-Fi capability was turned on. They showed that third parties could alter operating parameters; for example, making the computer think the bullet weighed from 0.4 ounces (11 g) to 72 pounds (33 kg), which would make the rifle fire inaccurately. A skilled hacker could acquire root access and brick the computer.^[17]