TrackingPoint is back at it again, this time with a video demonstration of a sniper using their Android-powered heads-up display goggles to take out a target 500 yards downrange. These are precision Smith Optics I/O Recon goggles running on Android, with TrackingPoint’s ShowView guidance software assisting the shooter with hitting his mark. The video shows the marksman taking aim and blasting a soda bottle filled with explosives at a range of 500 yards using the goggles instead of the rifle’s scope. It’s really impressive to say the least. TrackingPoint says, “The Precision Guided Firearm (PGF) developed by TrackingPoint is the most accurate shooting system in the world. Called the Xact SystemTM, it solves multiple problems that long range shooters can commonly face. The Xact System ensures repeatable performance and accuracy even at extended ranges. Long-range shots have historically been challenging for big-game hunters, and that’s because shot accuracy is diminished by multiple variables: wind speed and direction, curvature of the earth, recoil, and human error caused by range miscalculation and jitter. The PGF also offers applications for smart devices. These apps interact with embedded wifi servers to share real-time or recorded images.”
For this test, the company switched from using Google Glass, like they used last time, to a special Smith Optics setup because the performance is said to be much better. In a processing environment this intense, Google Glass can lag a bit says TrackingPoint. That’s not acceptable in a combat situation, which prompted one reason for the change, to test out whether or not the Smith Optics setup could perform better in more realistic combat conditions. TrackingPoint is based out of Austin, Texas. They created and built the very first precision guided firearm long-range rifle system. This is basically the same concept as laser-guided missiles, but in a firearm configuration. They first created the PGF in 2011 and launched it publicly in 2013. The rifle in the demo video is their second publicly available PGF rifle, the AP Series semi-automatic smart rifle. This second version came out just this year, back in January. Check out the video below. It’s pretty wicked. Let us know what you think in the comments.