physics

TrackingPoint

TrackingPoint is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand TrackingPoint rather than just read about it. In short: TrackingPoint is an applied technology company based in Austin, Texas. In 2011, it created a long-range rifle system that was the first precision guided firearm.

Key takeaways

TrackingPoint belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect TrackingPoint to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of TrackingPoint from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

TrackingPoint is an applied technology company based in Austin, Texas. In 2011, it created a long-range rifle system that was the first precision guided firearm. Formed by John McHale in February 2011, the company created its first PGF prototype in March 2011. The company offered its first product in January 2013 and a second, the AR Series semi-automatic smart rifle, in January 2014. Variants of the company's bolt-action rifles use .338 Lapua Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum ammunition. Semi-automatic variants are available in 7.62 NATO, 5.56 NATO and .300 BLK. In September 2016, the company began selling the M1400, a squad-level .338 Lapua bolt-action rifle that can hit targets out to 1,400 yards (1,280 m). It can also acquire and hit targets traveling at 20 mph (32 km/h) within 2.5 seconds. The rifle is 45 in (110 cm) long with a 22 in (560 mm) barrel, weighing 15.4 lb (7.0 kg). It can be used with the company's ShotGlass wearable glasses that transmits what the scope is seeing to the shooter's eye. In January 2014, the U.S. Army purchased six TrackingPoint fire control systems to begin exploring purported key target acquisition and aiming technologies. The Army has integrated the system onto the XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle for military testing. In 2018, TrackingPoint introduced the ShadowTrak 6 bolt-action rifle with 6.5 mm Creedmoor cartridge that can hit targets out to 1,000 yards (914 m), and can hit targets traveling at 20 mph (32 km/h) in 1 second. Weighing 14.6 lb (6.6 kg), it can fire Hornady ammunition; the 147gr ELD-M (a match type bullet) or the 143gr ELD-X (designed for hunting). In November 2018, Talon Precision Optics, of Jacksonville, Florida, bought TrackingPoint.

Technology

TrackingPoint's precision guided firearms system uses several component technologies:

Networked Tracking Scope: The core engine that tracks the target, calculates range and the ballistic solution, and works in concert with the shooter and guided trigger to release the shot. Barrel Reference System: A fixed reference point that enables the networked tracking scope to make adjustments and retain zero over time. The barrel reference system is factory calibrated to a laser reference. Guided to Trigger: The rifle's trigger is hard-wired to the networked tracking scope. The networked tracking scope controls the trigger weight to eliminate trigger squeeze and shot timing errors. Field Software Upgradeable: Software can be uploaded to the scope to add capability. Heads Up Display (HUD): The HUD indicates range, wind, reticle, video storage gauge, zoom, and battery life, plus LRF icon, Wi-Fi on/off icon, compass icon, cant wheel, inclination wheels and off-screen indicators. Recording: An integrated camera captures video and still images from the networked tracking scope and heads up display. Recorded images can be downloaded to a smartphone or tablet from the scope and transmitted via email or social media.

Vulnerabilities In 2017, computer security experts Runa Sandvik and Michael Auger demonstrated that naive software design left the rifle's aiming computer open to remote hacking when its Wi-Fi capability was turned on. They showed that third parties could alter operating parameters; for example, making the computer think the bullet weighed from 0.4 ounces (11 g) to 72 pounds (33 kg), which would make the rifle fire inaccurately. A skilled hacker could acquire root access and brick the computer.

References

External links TrackingPoint website. "Military Science Inspires Better Rifle Control". February 9, 2014. Raymond Von Wahlde; Dennis Metz (August 1999). "Sniper Weapon Fire Control Error Budget Analysis". United States Army Research Laboratory (published September 9, 1999).

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TrackingPoint

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TrackingPoint claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to TrackingPoint before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about TrackingPoint ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of TrackingPoint

In research: TrackingPoint appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses TrackingPoint in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: TrackingPoint is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2011 establishments in Texas, American companies established in 2011, Companies based in Austin, Texas, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TrackingPoint outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study TrackingPoint in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TrackingPoint means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain TrackingPoint out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TrackingPoint in simple terms?

TrackingPoint is an applied technology company based in Austin, Texas. In 2011, it created a long-range rifle system that was the first precision guided firearm.

Why does TrackingPoint matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study TrackingPoint?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on TrackingPoint.