(CNN) The porch piracy problems were not all what they seemed.

The idea was glorious: To get revenge on thieves swiping packages off doorsteps, ex-NASA engineer Mark Rober built parcels with a pound of glitter and fart spray that burst out when the lid was lifted. He also put phones in the package to record thieves' reactions and to capture their location.

The video Rober released of five "glitter bombs" in action was the perfect antidote for anyone who'd ever arrived home to find only a doormat where a delivery should have been. They showed giant glitter messes and complaints about the stench (one thief even said he was worried about how his girlfriend would react to his smelly, sparkling car).

But now, Rober is apologizing for footage of two of the glitter attacks, which he admits is "misleading."

Rober explained that he'd asked his friends -- and friends of friends -- to try out his invention, even offering to pay those who could recover their packages.

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