A Flockbuster Idea

Birds, despite their beauty and the joy they bring to many, can sometimes become nuisances in a number of ways, causing inconvenience and frustration for humans. One of the most common ways birds can be a nuisance is through their droppings. Whether it is on sidewalks, cars, or buildings, bird droppings can be unsightly and challenging to clean, leading to potential damage to paint and surfaces over time. Additionally, bird droppings can pose health risks as they may contain harmful bacteria and parasites.

Birds are also known for their incessant chirping and squawking, especially during the breeding season. While their songs can be delightful in small doses, the continuous and loud noise can become bothersome, disturbing peace and tranquility in residential areas. Certain bird species, like crows and seagulls, are notorious for their raucous calls, which can be particularly grating.

Nesting habits can further contribute to bird-related nuisances. Birds may choose inconvenient locations to build their nests, such as in chimneys, gutters, or vents, potentially causing blockages or fire hazards. Moreover, as their nesting materials and debris accumulate, it can lead to unsightly messes and structural damage.

For a robotics hobbyist that goes by the name DevMiser, frequent visits to his pool by a flock of grackles was causing some pain. Sure, they may be fun to watch, but they have some different ideas about what constitutes appropriate pool etiquette, so they had to go. But DevMiser did not want to use any control methods that might hurt his fine, feathered neighbors, so he built an interesting device to shoo them away without hurting them. The ever-vigilant Bird Sweeper keeps watch over an area and gently pushes away anything that comes too close.

The Bird Sweeper is powered by a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+. It leverages a PIR motion sensor to look for any signs of activity (so technically, it is not bird-specific), and when intruders are detected, a 25 kg servo is activated, which gently sweeps a cylindrical rod across the protected area, safely pushing away anything in its path. The entire system is powered by a 24,800 mAh battery bank so that it does not need to be near an electrical outlet. A 5V relay was included to cut the power to the servo, and conserve battery power, while it was not in use. A case was 3D printed to protect the Bird Sweeper from the elements. Optionally, a Raspberry Pi Camera Module V2 can be included to snap an image of the birds before they are scared away.

DevMiser set up his Bird Sweeper next to a shallow flow of water between the hot tub and main pool where the grackles often hopped in. It was found to successfully detect the birds and safely move them away without harm. And best of all, after a few attempts, the birds learned to steer clear of the area. The sweeper arm cannot protect a very large area, but for specific use cases like this one, it is just about perfect.

As previously mentioned, the PIR motion sensor is not specific to birds, so any small animal, or wind-blown leaf, etc. will trigger the sweeper. But, the device is powered by a Raspberry Pi, and includes a camera, so there are opportunities for upgrades. It could, for example, run a machine learning image classifier or object detector such that the arm is only triggered for specific pests. This upgrade would only require a software update.

The Python source code and build instructions are available on GitHub for those interested in building their own Bird Sweeper, or their own, customized version of it. Or, if you would rather do some bird watching, check out this smart bird feeder.