Meet [Tanner]. [Tanner] is a hacker who also appreciates the security of their home while they’re out of town. After doing some research about home security, they found that it doesn’t take much to keep a house from being broken into. It’s true that truly determined burglars might be more difficult to avoid. But, for the opportunistic types who don’t like having their appendages treated like a chew toy or their face on the local news, the steaks are lowered.  All it might take is a security camera or two, or a big barking dog to send them on their way. Rather than running to the local animal shelter, [Tanner] used parts that were already sitting around to create a solution to the problem: A computer vision triggered virtual dog.

An actual burglar caught by [Tanner]’s surveillance, and an inspiration for the projectThe hardware for the computer canine is simple: A surveillance camera feeds images to a Raspberry Pi which, when triggered plays the sound of a dog barking. But [Tanner] took it a step further by feeding the Pi with two cameras, each pointing different directions. Depending on which camera is triggered, the barking will sound like it’s going toward each door by moving the audio from right channel to left, or vice versa.

[Tanner] has generously made the entire project available via their Gitea site. The fake dog is a wonderfully simple little system, but according to its author, not without its flaws. See the post on their site for their plans to improve the effectiveness and accuracy of the project.

If you’re the type who does want to take their robodog on a walk, check out OpenDog version 3, an open source pooch you can 3d print and build yourself!

This but it plays the dueling fiddles song with the noise of shotguns being racked

I came here for shotgun’s rack, not disappointed.

I came here for angels with dirty souls. I guess I had to satisfy myself.

“…and keep the change, you filthy animal.”

I think interesting typos must be a way to increase reader engagement.

Shhhhh! Don’t let out the secret! B^)

I’m sorry, but won’t lowering the “steaks” STOP the dog from barking? 8^)

Not if he’s busy snarfing them!

“… the steaks are lowered” — on to the grill? I think the word intended here is “stakes” as in the idiom ‘raise the stakes`.

We don’t need proofreaders – hackaday.

I think you mean ‘stakes’, not ‘steaks’.

Your former nerdy English teacher.

And ‘oh fuck’, Judy already followed this up.

Talk radio. Cops agree. Of your political side of course or have NPR on one side of the house and FOX on the other side. Even more convincing that people are home.

Lowering steaks (over the fence) is a classic method of silencing K9 alarm systems.

Proof readers are for loosers!

And are you all *sure* that I meant “stakes”?

Of course, now that a _real_ photo has been shown, and the person in it probably can recognise himself and therefore _which_ place it is… he now knows the “dog” is a fake.

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