Militarizing Your Backyard With Python and AI

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Militarizing Your Backyard With Python and AI

Posted by timothy on Saturday March 24, 2012 @06:40AM from the it-puts-the-squirrel-in-the-bucket dept.

mikejuk writes "Kurt Grandis took some cutting edge and open source AI tools, Python, an Arduino and a SuperSoaker and built the (almost) perfect squirrel hosing machine. The project involved Open Computer Vision (OpenCV), an a SVM learning procedure that he trained to tell the difference between a squirrel and a non-squirrel. After 'perfecting' the classifier the hardware came next — a SuperSoaker Mark I was used as the 'water cannon.' A pair of servos were used to aim the gun and a third to pull the trigger."

42 of 112 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

The South Koreans have something similar by Biff+Stu · 2012-03-24 06:47 · Score: 2

...but I'm sure it costs a bit more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5YftEAbmMQ
By the way, we saw it first in Aliens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQDy-5IQvuU
Re:PITA Time? by sideslash · 2012-03-24 06:50 · Score: 5, Funny

No, no no. PITA is the kind of bread you wrap your roasted squirrel meat in. _PETA_ is what you're thinking of.
See it in action at 16:00 by Garth+Smith · 2012-03-24 06:55 · Score: 3, Informative

Actual footage of the device in action starts at 16:00 if you want to skip the tech talk.
1. Re:See it in action at 16:00 by Zakabog · 2012-03-24 07:42 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Or you can also just watch that section on youtube
The first law of squirrels by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-24 06:56 · Score: 5, Funny

Squirrels are persistent.
If you have something they want, they will find a way to get it. If it takes you 3 weeks to build a cage to keep them out, they will search for 3 days until they find or make a hole in the cage. If you put the desired item on top of a slippery pole, they will jump from surrounding objects hundreds of times until they finally get there. If you cut down all the trees around the item, they will try going up the pole until they rub all the slippery stuff off. If you put the item on the moon, they will invent the rocket.
So I would advise against this escalation of the arms race against Rodentia. If we build electronic weapons to keep them away they will probably develop electronic countermeasures, and we don't want that.
1. Re:The first law of squirrels by CaptBubba · 2012-03-24 07:04 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  I've had really good luck with a commercial "Squirrel Buster" tube bird feeder which has a spring-suspended cage around the entirety of the tube. They jump on and their fat ass pulls the cage down to where they cannot get the seed. They can see the seed, they can smell the seed, but they cannot eat the seed. They get so pissed off at that thing and it is wonderful.
  Grackles however are an entirely different matter and I'd love to have this water gun setup for them. I imagine a large black bird would be pretty easy to target too.
2. Re:The first law of squirrels by mikael · 2012-03-24 10:37 · Score: 2
  
  Sounds like squirrels are a cheaper alternative than postgrad students. The only problem is trying to express problems such as gene interactions and superconductor formula in terms of "find the shortest path to the nuts". Once that is solved, the nation has solved the problem of a shortage of STEM researchers.
  
  --
  Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
Re:PITA Time? by 93+Escort+Wagon · 2012-03-24 06:58 · Score: 4, Interesting

Now watch PITA call animal cruelty on this dude.
I don't know where this dude lives, but here in Washington state the Eastern Gray squirrel is an invasive non-native species, even though they're pretty much everywhere. They've largely displaced our native squirrel population. In most places you can kill them without problem - you're doing the local ecology a favor, after all - although it's always possible some wacko fringe element will protest the killing. I don't know about locales like Seattle, though; I wouldn't put it past them to have laws against killing animals considered "cute".
Anyway if this guy gets dinged, maybe he just needs to replace the Super Soaker with a .12 gauge...

--
#DeleteChrome
Re:PITA Time? by ColdWetDog · 2012-03-24 06:59 · Score: 5, Funny

Anyway if this guy gets dinged, maybe he just needs to replace the Super Soaker with a .12 gauge...
And shoot the PETA people?
I approve of this message!

--
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
Re:PITA Time? by jamstar7 · 2012-03-24 07:03 · Score: 5, Funny

The People for Eating Tasty Animals? Why would they have a problem with this? Squirrel, the other white meat...

--
Understanding the scope of the problem is the first step on the path to true panic.
Dear i-programmer by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-24 07:04 · Score: 5, Funny

Your web-
site has
a very
nice
Layout.
Reading
articles this
way is
really fun.
Especially
enjoyable
are the
20px wide
embedded
videos.
Keep
up
the
good
work!
Before you try to reproduce this... by jafo · 2012-03-24 07:05 · Score: 5, Informative

I saw his presentation at PyCon a few weeks ago. During Q&A I asked: "My experience with OpenCV has been that it's nearly impossible to use, poor documentation, documentation of a different version of the API, build issues with the libraries. Was I just on the wrong track, or is this a common experience?"
His answer was that it's true that it's very hard to get OpenCV working.
Also note that after a while the squirrels stopped being annoyed by the water gun and would just sit there while getting sprayed.
He did a very nice job of it though! I particularly like the part about using the bushy tail to tell a squirrel from a bird.
1. Re:Before you try to reproduce this... by Animats · 2012-03-24 07:13 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  His answer was that it's true that it's very hard to get OpenCV working.
  It used to be quite bad, but the Willow Robotics people have taken it over, and now it's supposedly better.
Re:PITA Time? by colinrichardday · 2012-03-24 07:10 · Score: 5, Funny

PITA?
People for the Intelligent Targeting of Animals?
Re:PITA Time? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-24 07:11 · Score: 2

thatsthejoke.jpg
Pain In The A-er, posterior.
Need some kind of disincentive in the water. by garyebickford · 2012-03-24 07:18 · Score: 4, Interesting

Add a little ammonia or cat pee, or methyl mercaptan to the water, or maybe some kind of stuff that gets sticky as it dries, to keep the squirrel occupied for a while. Also, since he's mainly interested in keeping them off the feeder, he could mount the gun next to the feeder and fire it remotely, hitting the squirrel at close range with significantly more force and wetness.
I had a friend long ago who had trouble with dogs chasing his bicycle on his regular route to work. By adding a very small percentage of ammonia into a squirt gun, he found that if he squirted the dog right in the face, the dogs weren't hurt, but were stopped instantly in their tracks, and went off to occupy themselves with rubbing their noses and eyes with their front paws. It only took about three trials to stop any dog from bike and car chasing. Lemon juice might work as well. (Plain water did not work.)
If I were more devilish I might suggest nitrogen tri-iodide in the water. I'm not sure that it would work unless in high concentrations, but it might be amusing once it dries on the squirrel - and/or on the roof of the feeder. The experimentalist in me wants to know - purely for the knowledge to be gained, of course!

--
It's easier to be a result of the past, but more fun to be a cause of the future! http://www.spacefinancegroup.com/
1. Re:Need some kind of disincentive in the water. by SuricouRaven · 2012-03-24 07:28 · Score: 2
  
  There was an incident in the UK with a patchy-magenta squirrel that briefly became a local celebrity. No-one was ever able to prove the cause, but the most likely explanation is that it was searching in bins and had an encounted with a discarded laser printer cartridge.
2. Re:Need some kind of disincentive in the water. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-24 07:54 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  "Add a little ammonia or cat pee, or methyl mercaptan to the water, or maybe some kind of stuff that gets sticky as it dries, to keep the squirrel occupied for a while."
  Except that it would get all over the feeder and potentially discourage the birds.
3. Re:Need some kind of disincentive in the water. by proverbialcow · 2012-03-24 08:27 · Score: 2
  
  I'd never heard of NI3 prior to your post, so I hit up Wikipedia, and found out this important fact: Nitrogen triiodide has no practical commercial value due to its extreme shock sensitivity, making it impossible to store, transport, and utilize for controlled explosions.
  Pressurizing it in a squirt gun seems like a bad idea.
  
  --
  The only surefire protection against Microsoft infections is abstinence. - The Onion
4. Re:Need some kind of disincentive in the water. by Lee_Dailey · 2012-03-24 08:49 · Score: 2
  
  howdy y'all,
  in addition to the chemicals mentioned above, _really_ cheap perfume works quite well. i use it to chase the danged feather rats [aka - pigeons] away from my bedroom window. my neighbor uses it to zap dogs and cats when he finds them mucking around with his plants. doesn't take much usually 4 units of water to one of el cheapo perfume. those pump action swimming pool guns work nicely.
  take care,
  lee
5. Re:Need some kind of disincentive in the water. by MichaelSmith · 2012-03-24 10:06 · Score: 2
  
  Bummer of a failure mode there.
  
  --
  http://michaelsmith.id.au
6. Re:Need some kind of disincentive in the water. by belg4mit · 2012-03-24 11:03 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  To expand upon this, capsaicin is apparently the peppers defense against mammals
  eating the fruit, since they do not spread the seed as optimally for the plant. Birds do
  not sense it, so you could even douse the seed in it as a simpler solution.
  
  --
  Were that I say, pancakes?
7. Re:Need some kind of disincentive in the water. by garyebickford · 2012-03-24 11:37 · Score: 2
  
  Ask many geeks about NI3, and they will have at least one story either first or third person about a prank involving NI3. Friction sets it off nicely. At my college someone painted NI3 on the seats in the cafeteria - in thin layers it's basically invisible. After it dried, as everyone sat down for the fancy Sunday dinner, they all got a spanking! :D
  In fact, as I note that the squirrels tended to jump to the top of the bird feeder, while birds tend to land on the feeder ledge, one could paint little dots of NI3 on the roof so when the squirrels land their little feet would get spanked. Make many little dots, separated so one does not set off the others.
  
  --
  It's easier to be a result of the past, but more fun to be a cause of the future! http://www.spacefinancegroup.com/
8. Re:Need some kind of disincentive in the water. by rocket+rancher · 2012-03-24 13:57 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  If I were more devilish I might suggest nitrogen tri-iodide in the water. I'm not sure that it would work unless in high concentrations, but it might be amusing once it dries on the squirrel - and/or on the roof of the feeder. The experimentalist in me wants to know - purely for the knowledge to be gained, of course!
  hmmm. have to agree. Nothing like the shocked look on some meathead jock's face when he opened a locker door painted with NI3 in solution. I saw NI3 demonstrated at a science fair when I was in junior high (during the Nixon administration -- get off my lawn.) Stuff is fucking simple to make, and as long as you keep it in solution, it won't blow up on you. It makes a very loud snapping sound when it detonates, along with a cloud of purplish smoke. We'd paint it on locker doors in the gym and tool chests in the auto shop. Any kind of impact after it dried would detonate it. It was invisible if applied while still in solution, and it took less than 5 seconds after detonation for the residual iodine to sublimate and the residual ammonium iodide to dissolve in our always humid air, so it was practically untraceable. Revenge of the nerds, and better living through chemistry, indeed... :)
9. Re:Need some kind of disincentive in the water. by jc42 · 2012-03-24 14:33 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  ...capsaicin is apparently the peppers defense against mammals eating the fruit, since they do not spread the seed as optimally for the plant. Birds do not sense it,...
  Actually, a lot of birds do taste capsaicin - and actively like it. We have a blue-crowned conure who likes peppers in general, especially the seeds, but tends to eat only a little of a sweet pepper. But give her a hot pepper of any sort, and she devours it, then goes looking for more. So at least for this species, hot peppers are a real delicacy.
  Conures are native to South America, which is also where hot peppers evolved, so this could explain the good match. Parrots from other continents might not be adapted to hot peppers, and might not taste the capsaicin so well. Thus, our cockatiels (native to Australia) also like peppers of any sort, but don't absolutely love the hot ones like the conure does. They'll usually eat one, and then go on to something else for variety.
  
  --
  Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.
Make it say things like... by shippers · 2012-03-24 07:20 · Score: 5, Funny

"I see you", "there you are", and "no hard feelings" in a soft robotic voice.
1. Re:Make it say things like... by nschubach · 2012-03-24 09:46 · Score: 2
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfEpdVqOLXs
  
  --
  Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
Re:PITA Time? by SuricouRaven · 2012-03-24 07:23 · Score: 4, Insightful

You miss a vital question: Are grey squirrels cute? Hurting non-cute animals will cause little if any public outrage, but even causing a little inconvenience to the cute ones will summon an angry mob. People are stupid that way.
NI instead of AI? by Nkwe · 2012-03-24 08:05 · Score: 5, Funny

Why not just use the reptilian version of python and skip the AI?
1. Re:NI instead of AI? by Tablizer · 2012-03-24 08:16 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Do white spaces make real pythons go nuts also?
  
  --
  Table-ized A.I.
Re:PITA Time? by rthille · 2012-03-24 08:09 · Score: 2

Possum is "the other white meat". Squirrel is the other other white meat.

--
Awesome furniture, accessories and cabinetry in Santa Rosa, CA: http://humanity-home.com/
Prior Art claimed... by gadget+junkie · 2012-03-24 08:20 · Score: 2

I am sorry, a guy from Aperture science called, and claimed they were already distributing promotional videos.

--
"If a boss demands loyalty, give him integrity. But if he demands integrity, give him loyalty." (John Boyd, 1927-1997)
Inadequate by cffrost · 2012-03-24 08:46 · Score: 2

With the quickening pace that American municipal law enforcement agencies are militarizing our collective backyards with (but not excluded to) drones, active denial systems, H&K MP5s, chemical warfare, infrared and x-ray fishing expeditions, roadside electrocutions, armored vehicles, 100 mile wide Constitution-free zones, battering rams, DNA and fingerprint databases of innocents, and propaganda/psychological warfare to turn us against one another (e.g., "see something, say something")... whew... I propose we forget about the fucking rodents, and concentrate on the swine, sharks, donkeys, and elephants.
Am I joking? It depends on if you laughed. To paraphrase Lincoln, if I don't laugh, I'll cry.

--
Thank you, Edward Snowden.

"Arguments from authority are worthless." —Carl Sagan
Re:PITA Time? by EdIII · 2012-03-24 10:02 · Score: 4, Funny

Nooooo...
PORK is the other white meat. Babies are the other other white meat.
I want my baby back baby back baby back baby back baby back baby back ribs. *Chili's* Baby back ribs.
Re:PITA Time? by hairyfeet · 2012-03-24 10:12 · Score: 4, Informative

You monster! What kind of man are you? Don't you care about the environment? Do you have ANY idea how long it takes one of those tofu eating tree huggers to degrade? Use a flame thrower powered by natural gas, its clean AND it gets rid of the bodies! Sheesh, kids these days, always with the guns when killing it with fire has been good enough for thousands of years.

--
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
Re:PITA Time? by 93+Escort+Wagon · 2012-03-24 11:23 · Score: 2

North Carolina, IIRC. Mentioned in the video right after the part where the squirrels get hosed down... didn't watch the rest.
Be careful dude! I realize people will, on occasion, accidentally read the linked articles here - but you're not supposed to admit it publicly!
Have you no shame?

--
#DeleteChrome
Targeting by Roger+W+Moore · 2012-03-24 13:24 · Score: 4, Funny

Why not just use the reptilian version of python and skip the AI?
Probably because its targeting system may not discriminate as well between squirrels, birds and small children.
Re:PITA Time? by falzer · 2012-03-24 17:11 · Score: 2

Submit?
Re:PITA Time? by Sigg3.net · 2012-03-24 19:54 · Score: 2

It's what kept YOU alive when you were a smelling, ingrateful bag of isht, stupid :-)

--
Defining Statistics and Social Research
Re:PITA Time? by Opportunist · 2012-03-24 22:48 · Score: 2

I wonder whether I find it funny or frightening that this is at 5, informative...

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Re:PITA Time? by Opportunist · 2012-03-25 00:43 · Score: 2

Depends on how seriously you want the squirrel DEAD.

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Re:PITA Time? by sco08y · 2012-03-25 04:04 · Score: 2

No, no no. PITA is the kind of bread you wrap your roasted squirrel meat in. _PETA_ is what you're thinking of.
Not sure the real PETA would be against this. They'd probably want one set up on the premises to help them reduce the number of staff needed to euthanize 97% of all the animals brought in.