I was reading it and kind of interested, and thought this line was funny:
> I have a lot of hope that most of the people using computer vision are just doing happy, good stuff with it, like
[...] tracking their cat as it wanders around their house
And then suddenly realized I've wanted to do exactly that for a long time. Well... specifically install a camera that can detect my cat on the counter (and not my hands doing stuff) and sound an alarm/puff air to get him off.
Could this work for that? I think it could! I know my winter project...
On the topic of cats vs automation, I'd recommend reading this post [1] describing the arms race created by the writer's cat attempting to break into an automated feeding machine. HN discussion here [2]
We had an automated feeder with two chambers, each held down by a rotating, ticking timer switch. You rotate the switch to, say, 12 hours in the future, and 12 hours later the slot lines up and the lid pops over.
After many months, my cat learned to stand on top of the lid and use both paws to rotate the switch forward until the lid popped open.
This blew my mind. The switch was separated from the lid. I could imagine the cat attacking the lid itself, but this separate mechanism, requiring a motion completely distinct from the motion of an opening lid, and requiring patience without instantaneous reward or even evidence that it was going to work.... I just couldn't believe it.
There are few tech stories I enjoy more than the back-and-forth of breaking and improving a thing. A story where one side of the conflict is a cat means this might be my new favorite!
I've had good luck using low tech puzzle feeders with my cats. Each one is a bowl with a maze inside or a tower with various windows and trap doors they need to work the food out of to be able to eat. As the food levels get lower the pieces get harder to reach, which allows their laziness to take over and stop them from eating too much.
I love how he just randomly carries on his own internal dialog in his writing as if he really just doesn't give a fuck who's reading it. Totally brilliant!
> I have a lot of hope that most of the people using computer vision are just doing happy, good stuff with it, like [...] tracking their cat as it wanders around their house
And then suddenly realized I've wanted to do exactly that for a long time. Well... specifically install a camera that can detect my cat on the counter (and not my hands doing stuff) and sound an alarm/puff air to get him off.
Could this work for that? I think it could! I know my winter project...