Foxes and pine martens are posing a threat not just to chickens, but to the wiring in motor cars - but on the case are Mark Lambert, Rathconrath, on left, and Padraig Regan, Rochfortbridge, pictured here with teacher Gemma Costello.

Defence system to cope with foxes and pine martens

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A trio of Coláiste Mhuire students have turned to artificial intelligence to solve an age-old rural problem: the cunning fox.

Mark Lambert from Rathconrath, Padraig Regan from Rochfortbridge, and Jake Raeside from Mullingar have developed ‘Fox Off’, an automated defence system designed to protect poultry and vehicles from persistent predators.

The inspiration for the project came from personal experience, as all three team members are chicken owners. They realised that traditional defences often fall short against determined animals. “Foxes can dig under regular defences for chicken coops like traps and lights, and even pine martens can fit into small gaps in the wiring,” Padraig Regan said.

The team wanted a solution that stopped the attack before it even began, while remaining ethical. “The only solution that we can see to this is by deterring the fox… instead of curing the problem, you don’t want to cull the animals,” Mark Lambert said.

Beyond protecting livestock, the ‘Fox Off’ system addresses a bizarre but growing issue for motorists: foxes chewing through car wiring.

This behaviour, often linked to the use of soy-based insulation in modern vehicles, can lead to thousands of euro in damage. By placing the AI-guard near parked cars, the students believe they can prevent costly repairs.

At the heart of the project is a sophisticated AI detection system trained on a massive dataset. “We have an AI system with more than 600 images of foxes, and it knows what’s a fox and what’s not,” Padraig noted.

The system is smart enough to distinguish a predator from a pet by looking for specific markers like pointier ears, a bushier tail, and distinct colour schemes.

Once the AI identifies a target, it triggers a non-lethal deterrent. “It will identify a fox and then shoot water at the fox to scare him away,” Mark explained. While the team showcased a miniature version at the Young Scientist exhibition to avoid soaking the venue, the system is fully scalable.

With a larger pump and more powerful battery, the students say the water spray could easily cover much larger distances.

While the system is highly effective against foxes, the team are currently refining the software to better handle pine martens.

Due to their unique colour schemes and shapes, the camera occasionally struggles to pick them up, but the students say they “almost have it working”.

Though teammate Jake Raeside was unable to attend due to illness, Mark and Padraig successfully demonstrated their prototype, proving that with a little bit of code and a well-aimed splash of water, the future of farmyard security might just be digital.

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