Using Smart Cameras to Keep Badgers and Foxes at Bay: A Man's Innovative Solution

James Milward, a man from Surrey, was frustrated with foxes and badgers fouling in his garden. To repel them, he connected Ring cameras at his home to a device that emits high frequency sounds. He trained the system by using hundreds of images of the pests, teaching it to trigger the noise when it detected them. Named the Furbinator 3000, the gadget has successfully kept his garden clean. Though getting the camera system to recognize the animals was challenging, Milward employed machine learning to feed the system pictures of the creatures until it worked. Once the camera spotted a badger, the high frequency sound scared it away, leaving the garden clean for Milward's children to play in. However, ultrasonic animal deterrents have faced controversy, with the RSPCA objecting to them due to the discomfort, fear, and/or pain they may cause animals. Milward understands the importance of coexisting with wildlife but wanted a humane solution to protect his children and garden. He believes the technology could have broader applications, particularly in agricultural settings where predators can be a problem. Milward has made his code open source and is not seeking profit from the Furbinator. While his wife may not fully understand his passion for the project, she is accustomed to his problem-solving endeavors.