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Toy Robots Can Guard Your Home

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the outside-is-for-suckers dept.

Orome1 writes "Worried about burglars ransacking your house? Buy yourself some toy robots! It is what Robert Oschler, a Florida-based programmer, did. He bought a Rovio — a Wi-Fi enabled mobile webcam robot that can be picked up from toy sections of many stores — and modified it to suit his needs. The robot already has a camera, a microphone and speakers, but the improvements he made to the software allowed him to enhance the audio and video quality of this existing equipment, and to create specific routines for the robots. This way, every time he feels the need to check what's going on in the house, he simply goes online with his laptop and directs the robot through the house."

5 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. More useful... by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Is simply multiple cameras.

    If I was Burgling you, and I heard a noise from downstairs starting to head up, I might sneak into the nearest closet - wait for that thing to pass, then bolt out the door.

    Whereas if you simply had a realtime view from many angles - there's no real chance I'd be able to dodge you seeing me - and possibly identifying me.

    1. Re:More useful... by h4rr4r · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Which does what exactly?
      The police are not going to be interested, I say this as someone who has seen folks go through that situation. The police will showup, offer to give you a copy of their report for your insurance company and not even bother to view the footage much less use it in anyway.

    2. Re:More useful... by dave562 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If I had the balls to break into somebody's home, I'd probably just take the robot to spite them.

    3. Re:More useful... by Triv · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "Whereas if you simply had a realtime view from many angles - there's no real chance I'd be able to dodge you seeing me - and possibly identifying me."

      Why do people always believe that their home is always somehow a target for burglars? You don't have to secure your possessions with cameras and robots and laser tripwires, you just need to make the house across the street look like less of a hassle to get into.

      The easiest way to not get burgled it to make your house look, from the street, to not be worth a burglar's time. The cheapest way to do this is to buy a dog house and put it in your front yard. The second cheapest way to do this is to buy a dog house, put it in your front yard, and put a dog in it.

      Or here's something my Grandfather taught me: leave a different light on in a different room every night. I defy you to find a security system cheaper than the 10 dollars a year the electricity will cost you.

      Moral of the story: you're not that special, and if you get burgled, you spun a d20 and rolled low. There are other things more worthy of being thought about than that.

  2. This is just Ridiculous by VortexCortex · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Everyone knows that the best way to scare off buglers is to call out into the darkness, in your most shaky and unnaturally high pitched tone, "I have a gun! ... I've already called the police!".

    This, followed shortly by turning on all the lights and tip-toeing around in your boxers wielding a golf club is more than enough security for anyone!