Advanced Computing, Mathematics and Data
Newsmakers
November 2017
Hughes Part of Award-Winning Technology Development Team
Acoustic gunshot detector earns 2017 R&D 100 Award
Mike S. Hughes, a scientist with PNNL’s Computational Engineering group, was among those recognized for contributions to the acoustic gunshot detector that recently was awarded an R&D 100 Award from R&D Magazine. The award honors the top-100 innovative scientific breakthroughs of 2017.
Developed in response to the mass shooting incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the acoustic gunshot detector, a small device that contains a microcontroller, microphone, and battery, stemmed from a sensor PNNL already created for the military. The goal was to create a lightweight, wireless sensor that could quickly identify, discern, and alert to the sound of gunfire indoors as opposed to other loud noises.
The technology has since been licensed to commercial developers that aim to make the sensors cost-effective for use at schools and businesses.
The acoustic gunshot detection technology earned one of seven R&D Awards for PNNL this year. A paper about the technology was originally published in 2016.
Read More:
- “PNNL wins seven R&D 100 Awards” (PNNL News Release)
- “PNNL responds to school shootings. Invention could help police save lives.” (Tri-City Herald)
Reference:
Luzi L, EG Gonzalez, PJ Bruillard, MS Prowant, JR Skorpik, MS Hughes, S Child, D Kist, and JE Mccarthy. 2016. “Acoustic Firearm Discharge Detection and Classification in an Enclosed Environment.” Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 139(5):2723-2731. DOI: 10.1121/1.4948994.
