Feline Mass Watcher

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Hive13 Project
Feline Mass Watcher
[[<flickr>735390|200px]]
Status: Inactive
Start Date: 1/30/2011

Overview

Summary

This project is to design a device that will allow full access to the food bowl for my small cat, but regulated times for my obese cat.

Situation - I have two cats, Grandin (small) and Madison (huge). Madison needs a diet in a serious way. The problem is that if Grandin does not have access to food at all times, she freaks out and pukes all over the house. Plan is to construct a cover that opens any time Grandin attempts to eat, but only at programmed times or duration when Madison does so.

As the project will be based around a large supply of food, it can easily be turned into a standard automatic cat feeder for people without this unique situation.

Multiple methods for identification of the cat are available:

• RFID - both cats are chipped, so this could be ideal. Research on the required RFID reader is needed.
• Mass - the cats are drastically different in weight. Load sensors could be placed under the platform. This would have the added benefit of allowing me to record the rate at which the cats are actually eating.
• Video - cats are different size and color, so this may be possible, but probably prohibitively complicated.

Project Manager

Chris Davis

Contributors

• I welcome anybody interested

Project Status

Currently in brainstorming stage

Project Needs

• Force sensors
• RFID reader
• Arduino
• Servo(s)
• Battery backup - otherwise an extended power failure may cause Grandin to vomit everywhere.

Project Updates

Jan 30, 2011.

Initial brainstorming for project