DIY Sentry Gun Blasts Intruders With Paintballs

We're sure you've dropped your share of enemy-shredding sentry guns across various different games by now, but how would you like to have one in your own back yard? Thanks to the open source sentry gun project, you might just be able to. Of course it probably wouldn't be the greatest idea if birds and critters tend to hang out in your backyard, unless you want PETA to come knocking.

Although you can use either an airsoft gun or a paintball gun, we found the paintballs to be much more effective and entertaining. All you need to make your own is a paintball gun, several off the shelf parts and a few pieces of good old open-source code. The sentry gun tracks its moving target using a webcam placed on the tripod, which the laptop then translates into corresponding movements for the servo motor controlling the gun.

Once the target is locked on, the fully automated sentry gun blasts away until its victim finds itself a tree to hide behind. As fun as creating your very own paintball or airsoft sentry gun may be, we're guessing the authorities won't be too happy about it. If you're looking to build your own regardless, head on over to Project Sentry Gun to get started.

Tuan Mai

Tuan Mai is a Los Angeles-based writer and marketing professional focused mainly on PC gaming and hardware. He held the role of Social Media Editor across Tom's Guide and its sister publications for more than six years, helping the sites grow their audiences and also contributing dones of articles, with a special interest in the weird and quirky.