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posted by janrinok on Tuesday October 08 2019, @06:51AM   Printer-friendly
from the I'm-sure-there-is-a-good-use-for-this dept.

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

Thanks to the wonders of neural networks and machine learning algorithms, it's now possible to do things that were once thought to be inordinately difficult to achieve with computers. It's a combination of the right techniques and piles of computing power that make such feats doable, and [Robert Bond's] ant zapping project is a great example.

The project is based around an NVIDIA Jetson TK1, a system that brings the processing power of a modern GPU to an embedded platform. It's fitted with a USB camera, that is used to scan its field of view for ants. Once detected, thanks to a little OpenCV magic, the coordinates of the insect are passed to the laser system. Twin stepper motors are used to spin mirrors that direct the light from a 5 mW red laser, which is shined on the target. If you're thinking of working on something like this we highly recommend using galvos to direct the laser.

Because why wouldn't you want to?

Source: https://hackaday.com/2019/10/05/tracking-ants-and-zapping-them-with-lasers/


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  • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Tuesday October 08 2019, @09:59AM (8 children)

    by MostCynical (2589) on Tuesday October 08 2019, @09:59AM (#904018) Journal

    Not even PETA [peta.org] will complain about a few dead ants.

    --
    "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by RandomFactor on Tuesday October 08 2019, @10:15AM

    by RandomFactor (3682) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 08 2019, @10:15AM (#904019) Journal

    Ants are not Tasty Animals. (maybe with enough chocolate...)

    --
    В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
  • (Score: 2) by gtomorrow on Tuesday October 08 2019, @12:53PM (6 children)

    by gtomorrow (2230) on Tuesday October 08 2019, @12:53PM (#904038)

    Not the point, MostCynical.

    It's the hi-tech version of pulling wings off of flies. It's the grown-up version of the atrocities children do to insects and other small animals (from frogs working their up the chain). It's giving legitimacy to more sadism.

    • (Score: 4, Informative) by Coward, Anonymous on Tuesday October 08 2019, @01:12PM (3 children)

      by Coward, Anonymous (7017) on Tuesday October 08 2019, @01:12PM (#904042) Journal

      That ant was not harmed. 5 mW lasers don't leave a mark. It would be tricky to make something that kills the ant without leaving burn marks on the floor.

      • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 08 2019, @03:03PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 08 2019, @03:03PM (#904104)

        Hold your fire till they form a conga line.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 08 2019, @09:22PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 08 2019, @09:22PM (#904330)

        That ant was not harmed. 5 mW lasers don't leave a mark

        Ah, but this is only stage 1...the automated target designator....stage 2 is sending in the autonomous drones armed with mini-Paveways to take out all the wee fuckers that are being painted.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:52PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:52PM (#904682)

        Two lasers? Three? Cross the beams!

    • (Score: 1) by sfm on Tuesday October 08 2019, @07:08PM (1 child)

      by sfm (675) on Tuesday October 08 2019, @07:08PM (#904259)

      So it is okay to kill thousands of ants with a powerful
      neurotoxin (Cypermethrin), but cruel to knock them
      off one at a time with photons? Not sure I see much
      difference.
       

      • (Score: 2) by gtomorrow on Wednesday October 09 2019, @05:55AM

        by gtomorrow (2230) on Wednesday October 09 2019, @05:55AM (#904544)

        Snarky as your reply reads, I'm in total agreement. There is little if any difference.

        Although poster "Coward, Anonymous" informs us that this laser doesn't actually kill the ants, others posting to this thread have intimated this is only step one to dealings far more nefarious.

        Actually, your method is worse being how poison lingers and personally (if I was forced to choose) I think I'd rather be vaporized than poisoned.