Militarizing Your Backyard with Python: Computer Vision and the Squirrel Hordes
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN loves it as a funny, inspiring hobby project and calls it one of the best conference talks ever.
What it is
A PyCon 2012 talk by Kurt Grandis on building an automated water-squirting turret that uses Python and computer vision to detect and drive off squirrels from a bird feeder.
Recommended by 3 HN commenters across 2 different months, 2014 to 2023.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec kjs3 · 2014-10 · on “Human vs. Squirrel: The Battle of Wits Is On”
"Militarizing Your Backyard With Python" - Perhaps the best presentation to a programming language conference in history. [this video]
Recommends mpdehaan2 · 2014-10 · on “Human vs. Squirrel: The Battle of Wits Is On”
In related squirrel news: The "Daylight Robbery" documentary has some very interesting squirrel obstacle courses. You can find it on youtube - [LINK] "Militarizing your Backyard with Python" shows how to build a water-hose-turret that automatically recognizes and blasts squirrels - [this video]
Recommends Tiki · 2018-06 · on “Face recognition in images and video with Python”
I don't think you'll find a 'quick hack' but what you're asking is definitely possible as a project. Check this video out for ideas(guy used ML/servo controlled squirt gun to get rid of squirrels from his bird house) [this video]
Cites sudont · 2014-06 · on “African firm is selling pepper-spray bullet firing drones”
Indeed. Here's something somewhat related, from PyCon 2012. It deals with using computer vision to fire a squirt gun at squirrels. The principle is basically the same. [this video]
Cites pjmorris · 2022-05 · on “Why unprecedented birdflu outbreaks sweeping the world are concerning scientists”
Ten years ago, somebody built a squirrel detector/watergun combo to protect their bird feeders without harming the squirrels, [0] [0] [this video]
Cites Retric · 2023-05 · on “Less than 168 hours since Photoshop dropped the new “Generative Fill” feature”
Some Hobbyists still want to push the envelope. Think the artist equivalent of the guy building a AI controlled sentry gun for shooting squirrels with water. [this video]