The Lucky Resistor blog goes step by step through the printing and assembly process of an automated cat/pet feeder. There are PCB layouts and examples for the required electronics, except for the controller.
The working principle is very simple. You fill dry food or treats into the compartments, at a specified time, the turntable rotates and the food falls through the output funnel into the bowl.
My design uses sensors in each compartment to program the device, just be putting food into them. Imagine this implementation:
- The first compartment is defined for the food while you are at work. If you fill it, the food gets dispensed at 2 pm.
- The second compartment is for food if you work late and gets dispensed at 8 pm.
Without the sensor, the device would just rotate the turntable at 2 pm and 8 pm. This could irritate your pet, because, if it hears the sound of the rotating turntable, it expects a treat or food. Using the sensors, filling the compartments will “program” the device. So if you fill just the second compartment, the turntable will only rotate at 8 pm, even if you fill it in the morning.
See the initial post here and the 3D printing part here.
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