USB BB gun sports barrel-mounted webcam, ensures home security

While there's certainly a variety of options to keep watch and protect your property from curious intruders, the latest branch of vCrib gives a new meaning to being on guard. Crafted by the designer of the Virtual Crib home automation software, the USB BB gun sports automatic firing, manual reloading, and the ability to fire based on commands given remotely on a PC. Moreover, the weapon actually packs a webcam on the barrel, allowing users to login via computer, tilt / swivel the gun with simple mouse flicks, and fire away if you spot any intruders within its broad line of sight. It shouldn't need mentioning that we'd make absolutely sure our landlord was cool with mounting a remotely-controlled weapon in the window, but if you need to take home security into your own hands (without actually being at home), be sure to click on through to see this controversial creation spittin' hot fury.

[NeverSummer @ Apr 23rd 2007 1:32PM]

Imagine some creative sickles mount this somewhere, and have their way shooting the public remotely.

[R @ Apr 23rd 2007 12:36PM]

It's like a FPS, only real!

[shmengie @ Apr 23rd 2007 12:38PM]

i'm gonna mount one of these on my hot girlfriend's forehead. keep away da playahs...

[Chuckles McGee @ Apr 23rd 2007 12:39PM]

Great. Remotely mounted guns in hunting areas would probably attract a lot of business.

[barrywoods @ Apr 23rd 2007 12:50PM]

That's already been banned in some states.

[Michael @ May 29th 2007 6:11AM]

Someone has this, you hunt sheep, deer etc, and they send you the meat, $150.

[Landlocked @ Apr 23rd 2007 12:56PM]

Rut roh! This clip should have been prefaced with "Hey Bubba, watch this!"

[Christopher @ Apr 23rd 2007 1:28PM]

This is illegal and stupid. You cannot use harmful force, especially deadly force (i doubt this is deadly, though) against trespassers.

Duty of care not to affirmatively harm a trespasser.

[aeo @ Apr 23rd 2007 1:45PM]

Oh lighten up, he stated it was to be mounted indoors. It's just a BB gun mounted electronically for remote operation in your own home. He only demos it out a window to keep from spraying airsoft pellets all over his house. The most damage this would do is scare somebody. I'll bet his mom already told him that he's going to put an eye out. It's not illegal nor stupid. The guy has to be fairly intelligent to build such a thing although I'd be more impressed if it were autonomous like http://www.thesentrygun.com/

[Grant @ Apr 23rd 2007 8:52PM]

1. you clearly do not live in texas.
2. that doesn't seem to even use CO2, spring propelled BBs can do about as much damage as a bouncey ball. Once he gets a CO2 based BB gun on there, then it might actually hurt enough to deter someone, or as someone meantioned before, a paintball gun.

[barrywoods @ Apr 23rd 2007 11:50PM]

Uhh, ever heard of the castle law? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Doctrine

Wikipedia isn't the best source of info, but you get the idea. Someone breaks into my house they're a dead man.

[Mitch @ Apr 23rd 2007 1:29PM]

Man he should do this with a paintball gun.... way more painful and less lethal than a bb gun. Plus then you can actually "mark" your taget for easy identification, if you could mark your targets this would be a very profitable tool.

[Phillip Lamb @ Apr 23rd 2007 1:37PM]

It's a BB GUN!!! Have you people never played with one of these? It feels like getting hit with a paintball gun when you're hit with one.

[quandmeme @ Apr 23rd 2007 1:48PM]

@ Christopher: how'd the 1L torts final go? Isn't that case about _automatic_ traps. It's different when you pull the trigger. Duty of care analysis is for property-based torts, when you pull the trigger you're in the realm of assault, different set of countervailing justifications. Deadly force, lol.

[kevin @ Apr 23rd 2007 8:20PM]

haha, i thought the same thing. Ahhhh 1L year in lawschool, back when you hoped it was all so black and white, before you found out it is all a shade of grey.

This would certainly be a lot of fun. I doubt my crappy DSL connection would be reliable enough to work though. With my luck I would sign on to see a man robbing my house and then get a connection timed out error as soon I tried to pull the trigger.

[issawiah @ Apr 23rd 2007 1:52PM]

"I am gonna aim at my bush and let er rip"

[Vaughn @ Apr 23rd 2007 2:30PM]

This gun is a 225fps airsoft gun. My hot roommate let me test it on her butt. She is just fine! =) I shot myself with it a few times on full auto, it is not too dangerous. The main thing is to let the intruder know he is being watched and that he is not safe.

And correct, this one is not meant for window mounting! Too many flies would get in =) I ordered some high-end Pan/Tilt servos from ServoCity.com so I can mount guns much larger than this though, so be weary when breaking into my house, ya never know what I am testing. heheh

Vaughn
www.vcrib.com

[Neil @ Apr 23rd 2007 2:28PM]

Let's pray he builds in Wiimote support for this thing.

[peridyn @ Apr 23rd 2007 2:41PM]

Nice! I can see the headlines now "Terrorist hackers usurps home security system and begin a shooting spree. Lawn Furnishings, Postal Workers, and Mormons targetted"

[Mike Dean @ Apr 23rd 2007 2:51PM]

"You'll shoot your eye out..."

[DWells55 @ Apr 23rd 2007 3:02PM]

This is NOT a "BB Gun." This is a gravity-fed $20 airsoft gun which fires 6mm balls of plastic weighing either .12 or .20 grams. It'll manage 200FPS with .12g ammo at best and can't even pierce a wimpy tin can. This isn't harmful, and I doubt it's even a deterrent unless you have your face directly in front of it. I've had one of these fired at me before, they don't even hurt from 10 feet away. All you're doing is risking hurting someone's eyes and getting sued.

Had he mounted something like a decent airsoft AEG that fires 350FPS with .20g ammo, then you have a deterrent. I skirmish with friends with these things, and they do really hurt within 50 feet or so. After that the pain isn't so bad, especially if you're wearing heavier clothing like a BDU. These at close range will definitely get someone away, they'll leave extremely bad welts. But again, you risk eye damage to someone in using it for a project like this.

For home protection, this is an absolutely terrible idea. If he makes it wirelessly controlled, it would be fantastic for airsoft milsim games. How awesome would it be to send out a scout to lay one of these down (with a better gun on it) and then wirelessly pick off enemies from cover? It'd be like GRAW or something.

[BloodFalcon @ Apr 23rd 2007 6:36PM]

You are right about this "not being a bb gun" - however, the reason it is not is because it is not classified as an air pistol which is legaly considered a "weapon" in most states while not being considered a firearm.

In order for this thing to be a true bb gun, it must fire metal ball bearings.

Some countries - such as the UK have legal limits placed on the velocity an air gun may fire.

The reason why it would be much, much harder to create the same turret with a true bb gun is that pneumatic and co2 pistols require a large amount of force to fire each shot - or load each shot.

I would suggest creating the same turret with the DROZD bb pistol. since it is a CO2 pistol fired electronicaly.

You can fire off 30 rounds of steel/copper bb's at 400 rounds per minute - at 360 fps. That would tear the skin of a sucka.

[dosguy @ Apr 23rd 2007 3:08PM]

That's about the stupidest idea anyone ever came up with.

[Shawn524 @ Apr 23rd 2007 7:40PM]

umm.....plans/directions please?
i must have one

[Big @ Apr 23rd 2007 3:48PM]

#1 - in order for the BB to do damage worthy of calling it a "weapon"...it would have to fire each round at around 500 feet per second (to possibly 800 FPS).

#2 If it was capable of that kind of power - it would be ILLEGAL in most (if not all states).

#3 You can't shoot tresspasers who are not inside your home. The government owns your land, beneath your land and above your land.

#4 There is no way this thing could be accurate enough - and swivel in all available axises to hit any and all targets.

[dude @ May 9th 2007 11:08PM]

This is to more than one poster:

A blanket statement that you can't shoot anybody outside your home (albeit with a tiny piece of plastic) completely ignores the fact that several States have different laws, and some of them do allow shooting a trespasser outside your home. However, I would think most States wouldn't allow the trap thing.

But back to the original point. If you are going to make a definitive statement such as harmful force is not allowed, without actually researching, you just sound silly.

[Anonymous @ Apr 23rd 2007 6:52PM]

Airsoft guns don't even hurt if you fire them at yourself point blank (unless you shoot in the eye or balls maybe). What you want is a mounted pellet gun (with sharp pellets) and not a sissy-girl Airsoft gun. Oh and Airsoft guns are BB guns, but rather than firing metal BB's, they fire plastic BB's. I've got an airsoft MP5 that shoots at about 350, and it won't put a round (plastic bb) through a dr.pepper can at point blank range. That should give you some idea of how silly the device this guy has built is. Where does this lead? Attaching a real gun to the servos and logging into it from the office if you get an alarm alert? That'll get you thrown in the can.

[Anonymous @ Apr 24th 2007 1:46AM]

People have gotten sued because burglars hurt themselves in their homes. Basically you have a legal duty to make sure that no harm befalls anyone that step onto your property. It's sad, but it's true. Someone could walk onto your driveway, slip, fall, break their leg, and sue you for it. Or break into your house, trip on a toy your kid left out, and then sue. Will they go to jail for breaking into your house? Yes. But will you owe them some money? Also yes.

[Darren Wilson @ Apr 24th 2007 9:53AM]

This would be perfect!!!!!

After suffering 3 very expensive burglaries in the past 7 years and idiots throwing their litter into my front garden a long with neighbourhood cats digging up my garden & gravel driveway to take a dump, I would have so much fun with this product that you wouldn't believe it!!!!!!!!

[Big @ May 11th 2007 10:52PM]

you sound silly.

FEDERAL LAW applies to all states.
You can't shoot people who are outside your home on your property unless they pose an immediate mortal danger.

[christovich79 @ Apr 25th 2007 2:58PM]

A notable exception is the U.S. state of Texas, where it is legal to use deadly force against trespassers after dark (Penal Code § 9.42)

[Vaughn @ May 1st 2007 11:32AM]

I put out another video of the gun with my new geared servos, much smoother... Posted a couple other videos too. Check them out at www.vCrib.com

Vaughn

[Mike @ May 29th 2007 6:11AM]

This guy is going to get fired from work for checking his bb-gun. I think its interesting, but what if someone decided to steal his bb gun? I think this could be fun for ground hog hunting though. Mount it on a post and wipe a whole herd of them out.