A RING doorbell rival has come up with an alarming idea to keep intruders out – shoot them with paint balls and teargas pellets.
The wild tech claims to use AI to detect burglars and mark them with a “non-lethal paint ball”.
Inventors say the PaintCam Eve is the “ultimate peace of mind” device around.
However, questions hang over the legality of such a system especially if it causes injury.
Just as the Kickstarter project Ring transformed the doorbell market, is this the start of a new dawn for the security industry?
OZ-IT
And it’s not clear what the teargas consists of.
CS (2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrole), the teargas used by police, is a prohibited firearm that could lead to a minimum prison sentence of six months and a maximum one of ten years and/or a fine in the UK.
A promotion video shows how users can add approved faces such as family and neighbours so there’s no friendly fire.
An eerie voice issues potential foes with a verbal warning giving them a nail-biting five second countdown to leave the designated perimeter.
But even new partners will have to be on alert.
“If an unknown face appears next to someone known – perhaps your daughter’s new boyfriend – PaintCam defers to your instructions,” the PaintCam Eve’s website reads.
“It’s security on your terms, even if your kids don’t always follow them.”
They claim you can also opt to see who’s been picked up on camera and decide whether they should be peppered in paint.
A Slovenia-based startup called OZ-IT is apparently developing the gadget.
It’s not available to buy just yet – the team are launching a crowdfund on Kickstarter next week.
There’s no indication how much the tech could cost just yet either but the website lists a Standard, Advanced, and Elite package with a teargas pellet upgrade too.
“Imagine a security system that doesn’t merely watch but intervenes, autonomously and decisively,” the firm said.
“With AI-powered decision-making, an advanced camera system, and a paintball launcher, PaintCam represents a major leap forward.
“Just as the Kickstarter project Ring transformed the doorbell market, is this the start of a new dawn for the security industry?”
Teargas is considered a prohibited firearm in the UK.
So it’s not clear how OZ-IT plans to get around that if it wants to launch here.
CS gas (2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile) is one of the most commonly used tear gases in the world.
If you’re found in possession of it, it could lead to a minimum prison sentence of six months and a maximum one of ten years and/or a fine.
Of course, the law can vary from country to country.
For example, pepper spray can be legally purchased and carried in all 50 states of the US but in the UK it’s banned.
According to various reports, pepper sprays (in addition to CS sprays, mace, etc) contain substances such as oleoresin capsicum (known as OC), desmethyl dihydrocapsaicin (known as PAVA), and 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (known as CS) which cause an irritant effect and are deemed to be noxious by UK law.
