Automated Cat feeder powered by Node.js
github.com
github.com
The main components are a Raspberry Pi to listen and control things plus an Amazon Dash button that I reconfigured as an on/off switch located next to my front door.
Overall, the software itself was relatively easy. The tricky part was building a machine that dispenses a few treats consistently, not 3 treats then 15 then 0.
I've been thinking of writing this up in more detail. If there is interest, that may provide the motivation.
The s/w for both can be largely cut/paste from the templates.
Of course you could also just buy a dropcam or similar device, which streams video to a site and then the mobile app watchest that stream, with a ~3 second delay. But that's not really fun
question: how hard would it be to make this work for a nutrient suspension? i'm asking because i have switched to soylent (for obvious reasons that i will not belabor here) but am frustrated that i still have to remember to prepare and consume it at the correct interval.
it would be truly liberating to simply insert a tube into my mouth that would dispense an appropriate amount of fuel into my system at the optimal moment - perhaps triggered by my blood glucose dropping below a particular threshold[1].
[1]: http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2015/may-jun/glucose-monitor...
If sincere I apologize.
It's Happening!
http://www.super-feeder.com/csfmodel.html
0 5,11,17 * * * /home/pi/bin/feed - > /dev/null 2>&1
#!/bin/bash
export PATH=$HOME/bin:$PATH
(
source gpio
echo "Using pin 12"
gpio mode 12 out
gpio mode 12 out
gpio write 12 0
sleep 1
echo "Turn On"
gpio write 12 1
sleep 20
echo "Turn Off"
gpio write 12 0
) 2>&1 | logger -p local0.info -s -t feed
gpio write 12 0
exit 0
/home/pi/bin/gpio is from here: https://github.com/lasandell/RaspberryPi.git
> Sorry to be boring but a simple timer seems more sensible.
> And kitty needs water.
Problem is: people in the node.js community have a pattern of going from the "weekend hack" to the "production" stage in weeks. Code maturity has no meaning to some.
The refrigeration and heated tip are the complicating factors. The heated tip is used because cats don't tend to like cold food, and if you're going to go to the trouble of hacking something like this together, you might as well go all the way.
He loves to eat the salad we make every day for dinner, and its not just the avocado, the other day he ate some tomato that I dropped on the floor by mistake.
If your cat doesn't like cold food, perhaps you are feeding him too much?
Well that sucks! Why would they lock themselves to a platform like that?
Do you need the app to use this feeder?
edit: just saw someone else's comment about the app being mandatory to use this pet feeder.
I actually own a petnet, but I wanted to see if I could build my own feeder in a simple enough way so people could adapt it and add modules on so it could be like kittyo or even like petnet, or whatever anyone wants.
I guess some people just have crappy cats.
My parents recently had to buy four or five of these things just to find one that worked kind-of sort-of reliably.
Kibble is great for when you need to get away for the weekend, however.
I'm not feeding them meow mix or friskies.
Could you tell my immense cat about that?
I have one cat who is a reasonable free-feeder, and another cat who is a food beast and will devour everything in his grasp.