Fighting Package Theft With Glitter and Fart Spray

Maker News

Mike Senese is a content producer with a focus on technology, science, and engineering. He served as Executive Editor of Make: magazine for nearly a decade, and previously was a senior editor at Wired. Mike has also starred in engineering and science shows for Discovery Channel, including Punkin Chunkin, How Stuff Works, and Catch It Keep It.

An avid maker, Mike spends his spare time tinkering with electronics, fixing cars, and attempting to cook the perfect pizza. You might spot him at his local skatepark in the SF Bay Area.

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December 17th, 2018December 17th, 2018

Mark Rober is well known for his over-engineered builds, from gigantic Nerf blasters to liquifying sand in a hot tub.

Now, in what he says “might be my Magnum Opus,” Rober lashes back at the increasingly common issue of doorstep package thievery. Watch and laugh as he demonstrates the glitter-spraying apparatus that took him 6 months to complete, as multiple thieves nab the package from his steps, take it to hidden locales, and open it up to unwittingly unleash a serious mess — all while surreptitiously being recorded by multiple phone cameras hidden inside.

This one brought serious holiday cheer to the Make: office. Enjoy!

Bonus: Behind the scenes on the building of the device, by Sean Hodgins. Arduino, custom circuit boards, 3D printing, and a lot of brilliance: