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Militarizing Your Backyard with Python: Computer Vision and the Squirrel Hordes

12 videos recommended on HN
YouTube
3 HN users recommended this talk2 months2014–2023 score 2.5
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

HN loves it as a funny, inspiring hobby project and calls it one of the best conference talks ever.

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.

“Perhaps the best presentation to a programming language conference in history.” (HN, 2014)

1 strong recommendations · 2 recommendations · 3 citations · Talks · intermediate

6 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@kjs3 Oct 2014 Strongly recommends
on HN thread 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]
Considered one of the best programming conference presentations.
@mpdehaan2 Oct 2014 Recommends
on HN thread 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]
Builds a turret that recognizes and blasts squirrels with water.
@Tiki Jun 2018 Recommends
on HN thread 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]
Project ideas: ML and servo-controlled squirt gun against squirrels.

Citations, criticism and jokes

Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.

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