Let’s say you live somewhere with no mailman, meter reader, newspaper delivery person, or anyone else who might make the grievous error of stepping foot onto your property without good reason. Let’s also say that you take security so seriously you’re willing to shoot intruders (with paintballs), no questions asked. We’ll also probably need to add that you have some sociopathic tendencies, tortured small animals when you were a child, and that you might be protecting your meth lab. If all this sounds like you then you are going to love this article! It’s all about how to pepper intruders without having to put down that beer and get off your couch.
your neighbors and innocent bystanders moving “targets” with paintballs. Don’t even try to negotiate with it, it doesn’t care. With the ruthless circuitry of a laptop serial killer, the Automated Sentry rains down a horizontal hailstorm of projectiles to anyone unlucky enough to drop by your house to say hi stray into its kill zone.
According to their website, the Automated Sentry software has been in development since mid 2009. Since then, it has seen fairly regular updates. My personal favorite software update is, “Added a firing zone line (per customer request). When targets are above the line they are only aimed at and taunted. If they cross the line trigger functionality is enabled.” Taunting intruders (or your ex-girlfriend who decided to swing by the pad unannounced) sounds pretty sweet. Especially on the model that has a laser scope. Just imagine seeing an unattended machine gun spring to life and aim at you, just as you notice the red laser dot on your chest. I guess if they are silly enough to cross that line, then they have to pay the price (which hopefully isn’t a loss of vision from a paintball hit). No word on how else it actually taunts, but I’m pretty sure it’s not saying “nah-nuh-nah-nah-nuh.”
If you’re ready for almost five minutes of Automated Sentry mayhem, then check out this video. It shows the Automated Sentry taking out pedestrians, runners, bikers, jeep drivers and even a guy bouncing between two trampolines:
You have to hand it to this guy, there seems to be no limit to situations he won’t test the Automated Sentry for. I guess you never know when someone is going to trampoline their way across your property. Trampoline bandits, consider yourself warned!
The hardware doesn’t quite look retail ready, but software and various parts of the turret and camera mount options are for sale. DARPA should totally talk to this guy if they haven’t already. I’m sure DARPA would be all over a system that shoots and kills people without any human intervention required. It’s the next level from unmanned aerial drone. Several options are currently sold out (apparently indiscriminately shooting people/things is in high demand). The goods that are available can be found via PaintballSentry.com.
how much for one of those airosft/paintball sentries. could you mount that to a Tracks and use the gun in congution with the computers.
it would be a good this to have in those tuff CQB games a airsoft/paintball gun that move and shoots but you would have to find a way to stop it from shooting you own team.
How about defending your “unlockable” woodworking shop? I have a shop inside a 10X20 “car tent” unit. I have locks on the ridgid side-awning entry and I park my car directly in fron of the main front entry (the back is up against my studio building next to my house (I’m a commercial photographer). It hasn’t been burglarized yet (I live in a rural area), but I did lose gear out of my car recently. Truthfully, I don’t believe much signage is needed. A simple – “Stay off my F’ing property or you’ll be sorry!” sign would be sufficient. I’d mount one INSIDE the structure with a simple motion detector trigger aimed right at face level on the front door. The bottom line is “If you don’t belong there you must be up to no-good and you get what you deserve!”
Stairs used to be a problem for Daleks as well. But, they got around that now that they can fly. I’ve seen videos of quadrocopters doing very neat things, but I doubt that there are any affordable designs that can handle such a load. Tracked mobile platforms such as those of iRobot and similar designs can handle stairs with ease. Just think of what could be done with an automated patrolling sentry!
There are many other fun applications and hobbies where this face, feature, and body tracking could come in handy. Many people and groups are working on developing the software and tech needed for camera and video tracking, and I don’t think it will be long before inexpensive open source and turn-key solutions are readily available. When that happens, things will get very interesting.
Stuey, strong work with working in the Doctor Who reference! There is definitely some amazing technology brewing right now. . . looking forward to seeing what the future holds!
Seems easily defeated with a piece of cardboard. Defending against wildlife would be great. They make plant safe paintballs?
I was thinking the water version for plant protection. Paintballs might be a better deterrent against raccoons though. Paintballs are biodegradable. Most are actually made by pharmaceutical companies Gel-Caps are pretty much the same as the outer shell.
I’m actually thinking someone should make paintballs into an organic fertilizer. Then you pull up a lawn chair in your yard and start peppering the yard with fertilizer (just don’t aim directly at fragile foliage). Way more fun than one of those hand-crank fertilizer spreaders. You heard it here first!
Wow. The distraction attempt was pretty impressive. Tough to justify setting it up to patrol unattended without some pretty serious signage.
Agreed Chuck! I’m sure the signage would be totally welcoming to guests. Something like, “Do not cross this line or you will be assaulted with an automated barrage of paintballs.”
Someone needs to build 2 of these into a scale ED209 model!
Oooh, that would be sweet (assuming you disregard collateral damage)! It’s the armed security guard of the future!
HAHA the good old Enforcement Droid, just make sure there are no stairs.
No doubt Jay! Even Honda can’t make a robot that can handle stairs. Check out this Asimo fail. Current state of robot tech: Unmanned, indiscriminate shooting. Check! Walking up stairs. Negative.
A realistic home use would be defending a garden from racoons, deer, etc.