Gunfire locator

This article contains promotional content. Please help improve it by removing promotional language and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic text written from a neutral point of view. (December 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

A gunfire locator or gunshot detection system is a system that detects and conveys the location of gunfire or other weapon fire using acoustic, vibration, optical, or potentially other types of sensors, as well as a combination of such sensors. These systems are used by law enforcement, security, military, government offices, schools and businesses to identify the source and, in some cases, the direction of gunfire and/or the type of weapon fired. Most systems possess three main components:

• An array of microphones or sensors (accelerometers, infrared detectors, etc) either co-located or geographically dispersed
• A processing unit
• A user-interface that displays gunfire alerts

In general categories, there are environmental packaged systems for primarily outdoor use (both military and civilian/urban) which are high cost and then also lower cost consumer/industrial packaged systems for primarily indoor use. Systems used in urban settings integrate a geographic information system so the display includes a map and address location of each incident. Some indoor gunfire detection systems utilize detailed floor plans with detector location overlay to show shooter locations on an app or web based interface.