AI-Enabled Device, the Furbinator 3000, Keeps Gardens Free of Foxes and Badgers

A frustrated homeowner, James Milward, in Surrey, took matters into his own hands to deter foxes and badgers from soiling his garden by creating a novel solution. He harnessed the power of Ring cameras in his home and connected them to a device that emits high-frequency sounds. Milward’s ingenious idea was to train the system to recognize these troublesome nocturnal creatures and trigger the noise to drive them away. He aptly named his creation the “Furbinator 3000,” which has proven effective in safeguarding his garden.

The journey to make the camera system adept at identifying the creatures wasn’t a straightforward one. Milward humorously noted, “At first, it recognized the badger as an umbrella. I did some fine-tuning, and it came out as a sink, or a bear if I was lucky. Pretty much a spectacular failure.” However, Milward persevered, applying artificial intelligence in the form of machine learning to feed images of the animals to the system. This training process paid off, and the device eventually began accurately identifying the culprits.

Whenever the camera spots a badger or a fox, the high-frequency sound is activated, sending the unwelcome visitors on their way. As a result, Milward’s garden is kept clean and safe for his two young children to enjoy. Despite the success of his invention, it’s important to note that ultrasonic animal deterrents have sparked controversy. The RSPCA, for instance, has voiced concerns about the potential discomfort and fear that such devices may cause animals.

Milward, however, stressed that he recognizes the importance of coexisting with wildlife. His main aim was to find a humane way to protect his children from the mess left by foxes and badgers while preserving his garden. He believes that his technology could have broader applications beyond suburban gardens. Milward sees it as a potential solution in agricultural settings where there are few safe methods to deter potential predators. This adaptable technology could be used wherever human-animal conflicts arise.

Milward’s altruistic spirit is evident as he has made his code open source, with no intention of profiting from the Furbinator. While his innovative solution may find a wider audience, he admitted that at home, his wife may not fully share his enthusiasm for his pet project. He humorously remarked, “I think she’s quite perplexed as to what I’m doing. But she’s very much used to me going down these crazy paths to solve what would seem a very simple problem.”

James Milward’s Furbinator 3000 serves as a remarkable example of how artificial intelligence and creativity can be harnessed to address real-world problems and improve our coexistence with wildlife.