Howard University Student Develops Patent-Pending Technology Device To Reduce Gun Violence

Kayla Austin gun control

 

Kayla Austin, a 19-year-old activist, stood up to give a solution for gun control within households.

 

Austin is the founder and CEO of My Gun’s Been Moved, a non-profit dedicated to averting tragedies and raising awareness.

 

My Gun’s Been Moved’s fundamental goal is to reinvent firearm safety. This technology enables parents to conveniently watch their firearms while their children are at home.

 

 

The device, according to the company’s website, employs a patent-pending pad that senses the presence and removal of the gun placed there. When a firearm is placed on the pad, the owner is notified via an app that the weapon has been placed there. A similar notice is sent to the owner to notify them that the firearm has been relocated.

 

Austin and her team have built the product and technology around six pillars, with a pad available in two hues, brown and black.

  • Get alerts from anywhere
  • Have peace of mind and awareness
  • Easily pair to your phone
  • Keep children safe at all times
  • Premium durable materials
  • Quick emergency contact feature

This level of innovation around gun safety isn’t new. Austin came up with this concept in the seventh grade after being involved in a research project and hearing stories from her family about gun safety.

“So, I found out that majority of shootings involving with children and teens happen with a parent’s gun,” Austin said in an interview with WTOV 9. “So, I expected to hear about school shootings, but I was really surprised to see that most gun violence involving children starts in the home – children having access to their parent’s guns. So, when I was 12, I came up with an idea for a smart pad and that’s what the device currently is.”

Her passion has been recognized with a $25,000 investment from Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition.

 

 

“Black Ambition has definitely been a blessing to give us the funding but to also give us support and a mentorship and other opportunities, as well,” Austin shared, according to the outlet.

 

Leave a Reply