Axon unveils TASER 10
Image courtesy Axon
TASER 10 is the most sophisticated, accurate and effective TASER energy weapon to date. TASER 10 also marks the first key innovation unveiled by Axon following a recent announcement of a moonshot goal to cut gun-related deaths between police and the public by 50% in the next decade.
In line with its focus to provide safer, more reliable tools that can stop threats, Axon has an ongoing commitment to continually improve its TASER energy weapons. In 2020, the company accelerated investments in advancing less-lethal technology to better serve public safety and communities. TASER 10 represents a giant leap in innovation, with several step-function improvements compared to previous versions.
Key advancements include:
- New de-escalation features, including a 1,000-lumen pulsing light, loud audible alerts and LASER painting to warn a subject to comply before having to deploy probes.
- A longer range of up to 45 feet, compared with only 25 feet previously, creating more time and space for decision-making and reducing risk for everyone involved.
- The ability to deploy up to 10 probes compared with four probes previously, which only provided one or two opportunities to be effective. The device also has a differing tone when a good connection is made, alerting the officer.
- Individually targeted probes enabling the user to create their own spread, compared with the previous need to deploy two probes simultaneously at a predefined angle. This drastically improves accuracy and effectiveness, expanding the scenarios in which it can be used.
Axon CEO Rick Smith, who founded the company 30 years ago with a mission to leverage technology to protect life and make the bullet obsolete, said: "As technology leaders in public safety, we have a responsibility to identify every possible way we can give officers better tools to reduce officer-involved shootings.
"We have worked tirelessly to develop TASER 10 because we know that public safety needs better ways to stop imminent threats and protect their communities and themselves without lethal force. TASER 10 ushers in the potential for a less-lethal future and we are confident it will be a key factor in helping to cut gun-related deaths between police and the public by 50% in the next 10 years."
Today, ineffective TASER deployments can result in an escalation to lethal force and that over 80% of officer-involved shootings occur within a 40-foot range. TASER 10 provides almost double the range of Axon's previous energy weapons, with a maximum distance to reach a subject of 45 feet (13.7 metres), providing more time and space to de-escalate and resolve conflicts.
The TASER 10 provides more opportunities than other less-lethal options to immediately stop a threat without needing to reload. The TASER 10 is a two-probe-connect energy weapon. The first trigger pull discharges a single probe without electrical output and the second trigger pull discharges a second probe to create neuromuscular incapacitation (NMI). The device provides additional opportunities to obtain effective NMI, with the subsequent trigger pulls if the previous probes did not have proper attainment.
Leveraging smart technology, TASER 10 avoids delivering more charge than necessary. Regardless of how many probes make a connection, the device will only deliver current to the best four connections. Additionally, the TASER 10 has a reduced voltage of approximately 1,000 volts, compared with the previous 50,000 volts with the TASER 7.
TASER 10's additional capabilities make it more than just an energy weapon. It integrates with the Axon suite of products including:
- Axon Evidence, which allows agencies to manage pulse graphs, weapons activity, event logs and firing logs in the same cloud-hosted software system where they can store body camera video and other digital evidence.
- Axon VR, which provides innovative training that allows officers to gain confidence and accuracy, enhancing their proficiency in deploying TASER energy weapons, as well as helping officers to improve use-of-force decision-making and practice de-escalation techniques.
- The Axon Network, which seamlessly connects TASER 10 to Axon body-worn cameras and in-car cameras, as well as the Axon Respond real-time operations platform and the Axon Records productivity software suite. These additional capabilities ensure that agencies never miss a critical moment on their cameras and increase visibility to surface insights for continuous improvement. This supports greater transparency and accountability and informs policy for the future. The Axon network also helps officers save time on writing reports so they can spend more time protecting their communities.
- Smart holster technology. TASER 10 has an onboard sensor that pairs with certified holsters, allowing the TASER 10 to detect when it has been removed from a holster. TASER 10 logs the de-holstering event and emits a wireless signal to alert local body cameras to begin recording.
As with all previous TASER energy weapons, Axon performed multiphase testing of the TASER 10 to ensure the weapon meets expectations for both safety and effectiveness. This included independent cardiac safety testing conducted at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, as well as physiologic and metabolic testing and probe wound profile testing conducted under the direction of Axon's medical director and Science and Medical Advisory Board (SMAB). All tests confirmed that the TASER 10 has a safety profile comparable to or better than previous TASER energy weapons. Today, TASER energy weapons are the most studied use-of-force tool available to law enforcement.
Axon also worked with several public safety agencies to evaluate TASER 10 prior to launch. This enabled Axon to gather data and feedback directly from trusted partners and translate those findings to best practices for future use with agencies and forces around the world.
