How can you identify the type of gun by the sound it makes?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around identifying the type of gun based on the sound it produces, particularly through audio recordings of gunshots. Participants explore the potential for coding a program to analyze these sounds and distinguish between different firearms, as well as the technology behind existing systems like ShotSpotter.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that identifying gun types by sound could be similar to distinguishing between different voices or vehicle sounds.
  • There is a discussion about the possibility of writing a program to analyze gunshot sounds, with references to algorithms used in voice recognition software.
  • Some participants inquire about the proprietary nature of the algorithms used by ShotSpotter and express interest in how they determine the location of gunfire.
  • One participant mentions that high-power rifle bullets create a mini-sonic boom, which could be a factor in identifying the type of round based on sound.
  • Participants discuss the importance of initial testing and calibration of sound detection systems to account for environmental factors like echoes and multi-path characteristics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various ideas and questions about the topic, but there is no consensus on the methods or algorithms that could be used to identify gun types by sound. The discussion remains exploratory with multiple competing views and uncertainties.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of detailed information on the specific algorithms used by systems like ShotSpotter and the need for further exploration into the characteristics of different gunshot sounds.

btb4198
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how can you identify the type of gun by the sound it makes ? Like if you had a recording of a gun shot but you Can't see the gun and you can find the bullet.
 
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btb4198 said:
how can you identify the type of gun by the sound it makes ? Like if you had a recording of a gun shot but you Can't see the gun and you can find the bullet.
You can or can't find the bullet? Big difference...

Have you looked into this: http://www.shotspotter.com/

:smile:
 
The same way you tell the difference between people's voices, or the difference between a motorcycle a car and a truck's sound.
 
anorlunda said:
The same way you tell the difference between people's voices, or the difference between a motorcycle a car and a truck's sound.
Sorry I meant in code. So like I want to write a program than an tell the different. Also you can tell the difference between people's voice by find the fundamental frequency right ?
 
btb4198 said:
Sorry I meant in code. So like I want to write a program than an tell the different.
Did you look around the ShotSpotter website that I linked to?
 
berkeman said:
Did you look around the ShotSpotter website that I linked to?
Yeah ! How do in code that ? What algorithms are they using ?
 
btb4198 said:
Yeah ! How do in code that ? What algorithms are they using ?
I"m sure their code is proprietary, especially the physical location determination part. Did you see if they claim that they can also distinguish rifle/pistol and maybe the approximate caliber?

Have you studied voice recognition software yet? That's a good place to start to learn how to write code to distinguish different sounds.
 
wow how do they know where the gun fire is coming from ? This is what I wanted to code...
 
btb4198 said:
wow how do they know where the gun fire is coming from ? This is what I wanted to code...
They primarily use time-of-flight to multiple sound detectors, but they also have to do initial testing and calibration of an installation to learn about the echo characteristics and multi-path characteristics. Most of the ShotSpotter installation are in towns and city environments, where there are multiple bounces for most of the acoustic paths.
 
  • #10
Also, keep in mind that most high-power rifle bullets are supersonic, so they generate a mini-sonic-boom as they travel near the sensors -- it's not just the initial shot sound that goes into figuring out what type of round it is:

http://www.shotspotter.com/technology
Unlike counter-sniper sensors which can only measure a limited range of sounds—the supersonic signature of a sniper’s round with a known ballistic coefficient—SST’s wide area protection system measures the full range of impulsive sounds (sounds which are explosive in nature) found in urban weaponry, from sub and supersonic impulses to explosions.
 

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