We admit it, we were browsing Reddit when we found this beautifully hacked together Nerf Sentry turret. But are we ever glad we did — as it turns out, it is very similar to the totally awesome, open-source Project Sentry Gun.
We have actually covered a project that used that system before, but it looks like it has evolved a bit more since then. It’s just too cool not to share.
The system itself is quite simple and easy to build. You’re going to need three servo motors, an Arduino, a webcam, and assorted wires, nuts and bolts, etc etc. Grab a copy of the code, slap it all together, and you’re ready for business!
Just take a look at the following video of the Gladiator II Paintball Sentry Gun — we know you’re going to want to build one now.
Though we must say… this double barreled version (not based off of Project Sentry Gun) is a bit more intimidating.
[via Reddit]
Oops! the first link is to the code, not the web page…
Yea, Their site is http://projectsentrygun.com/ I believe.
people building automated death machines for “fun.” welcome to the dystopian future
A foamy one.
I’ve never heard of anyone dying from being shot by a Nerf gun…
Nerf turret is overpowered, it needs to be nerfed
When you nerf a Nerf, does it become more dangerous?
Not when you nerf a Nerf.
When you nerf a nerfed Nerf, it makes it more dangerous than the nerfed Nerf, but not as dangerous as the Nerf before it was nerfed.
Negative times a negative is a positive. That’s why it’s illegal to strap two nerf guns together.
It looks like this is the sentry from atakama labs:
http://stgomakerspace.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/nerf-sentry-gun/
While short on details, the video suggests it is manually operated, not automatic. Also a big difference is the camera mounted on the gun instead of the housing – not sure if the above project can handle both.
Great build. Looks like the tracking lags a little behind the target. So a target could simply run fast enough to beat the sentry gun.
Also, what about adding in a feature for IFF. Could an IR reflective patch be used?
The lag issue was due to the WIFI transmission from the microprocessor to the computer that handle the targeting. This projects is two years old and then was difficult to get OpenCV in a single board. Also it uses Phidgets at the time. The new version uses a Raspberry PI and everything is handled inside it.
Where is the newer version of the project?
The lag on tracking is probably a combination of a slow camera and the image processing. Most webcams really suck.
IR sounds good.
I got complicated with the IFF. I saw the color and thought it was too easy to duplicate by enemies. Use challenge-response authentication. Put a blinking IR LED unit on everyone. The sentry lases a target and the target must blink back a friendly code. Maybe send back a user ID encrypted with a public key, or have the sentry laser send a nonce and the blinker sends a hash(nonce+ID)
The problem with a blinking IR LED IFF (M.O.U.S.E.) is that you make your men perfect targets for anyone with IR goggles, maybe IR reflective QR Code in a Cadpat camo?
Wouldn’t reflective IR would also be visible. I said “challenge-response” so that the LED only blinks when it’s lased by the sentry, I guess I didn’t say that
No goggles? seems dangerous
how do it work