Illinois Patent of the Month – April 2021
Mass shootings in buildings such as schools have seen a significant increase in recent years. While emergency responders are alerted of the incident occurring, they are unable to know the location of the shooter and the location of any occupants within the building. Occupants may also be unaware of the shooter’s location – and must decide between hiding or trying to exit the building. Drift Net Securities want to remove this limitation to safety by providing a robust safety system.
Drift Net designed a gunshot detection system which integrates indoor geospatial information with threat sensors and imaging. This combination gives first responders and school administrators knowledge of the actual location of occupants in the building and identify the location of the threat. Pods – or multi-sensor devices – are positioned throughout the building and on external grounds and contain a camera, thermal imaging, and an acoustic sensor. They can also be equipped with communication features (e.g. speaker, mic) and a gas sensor. The sensors collect data and, if a threat is detected, the recent data is analyzed to determine threat location and type, including details such as type of weapon. At installation, the pods are connected with floor plan information to provide a comprehensive map of the building. The pods provide instructions based on the data collected. For instance, if you are in a room deemed near the shooter, the pod will direct you to hide. However, if you are far enough away, the pod will direct you to go to the nearest exit. The responses by the pods are customized to the threat type and the data collected in real time. The pods also provide location and number of occupants to first responders or school administrators.
The system is primarily focused at protecting the occupants and providing everyone with information on how to optimize their safety. The data provides accurate information and helps first responders navigate a floorplan that might be unknown to them. Drift Net designed their campus security system to increase protection for everyone.
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