An AI-powered automatic water gun turret has been introduced as a new method of keeping pigeons away.
A technology enthusiast, frustrated by pigeon droppings on his balcony, built an automated water gun turret that can identify pigeons and spray water at them to drive them away.
Modern technology can also help solve everyday problems when used effectively. While many people struggle to deal with such issues, one Reddit user developed an automatic water gun turret capable of recognising pigeons. Whenever a pigeon approaches his balcony, the system automatically directs a stream of water towards the bird.
Although pigeons are often considered attractive birds, many people regard them as a nuisance when they gather on balconies and leave droppings behind. Facing the same problem, the inventor decided to find a practical solution, which proved highly effective.
The AI-powered turret was built using a battery-operated water gun, an Orange Pi 5 mini computer, a USB camera, an open-vocabulary object detection neural network, two servo motors, resistors and a transistor used to activate the water gun.
Under the system, the USB camera detects a pigeon as it enters the turret’s range. The neural network identifies the bird, after which the servo motors turn the water gun towards the target and spray water accurately, causing the pigeon to fly away.
A short video demonstrating the performance of the automatic pigeon-deterring turret has gone viral on social media. Many users commented that they would purchase the device immediately if it became commercially available.
