Proposal

Automatic Dog Feeder

ECE4007 Senior Design Project

Section RP1, Canine Hunger Force

Justin Waters, Team Leader

Adam Hartley
Ryan Price
Randy Boucher

Submitted

September 17, 2007

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary........................................................................................................... 1

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 2

1.1 Objective ............................................................................................................. 2

1.2 Motivation........................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Background ......................................................................................................... 3

2. Project Description and Goals.................................................................................3-4

3. Technical Specification ............................................................................................... 4

4. Design Approach and Details

4.1 Design Approach .................................................................................................. 5

4.2 Codes and Standards............................................................................................. 6
4.3 Constraints, Alternatives, and Tradeoffs .............................................................. 6

5. Schedule, Tasks, and Milestones ................................................................................ 7

6. Project Demonstration ................................................................................................ 8

7. Marketing and Cost Analysis ..................................................................................... 8

7.1 Marketing Analysis ...........................................................................................8-9

7.2 Cost Analysis.................................................................................................10-11

8. Summary .................................................................................................................... 11

9. References .................................................................................................................. 12

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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Canine Hunger Forces automatic dog feeder allows a pet owner to set specific feeding

times, set food quantities and monitor consumption patterns. The dog feeder will utilize an

integrated personal computer to handle all data recording and analysis functions. The computer

will communicate with the weight sensor and feeding mechanism through a data acquisition

board.

An integral feature of the dog feeder is the inclusion of a web server. The web server will allow

remote administration and monitoring of the pets feeding schedule. Through the use of a

webpage, the owner will be able to create and modify feeding profiles from any internet-

connected computer. When specified feeding times occur, food consumption data will be logged

and posted on the website. Feeding portions will automatically be adjusted based on the previous

feeding history.

The Canine Hunger Forces automatic dog feeder provides the perfect solution for dog owners

who want to ensure that their pet is taken care of in their absence. This feeder is designed to meet

the needs of one dog, but multiple feeders can be used for those who care for multiple pets.

The expected outcome of this project is to design and build a feeder that is cost efficient.

Reliability and automation form the backbone of our entire project. A compact design is

important so that the feeder may be used in many different environments. Our primary goal is to

use networking technology to produce an automatic feeding system that is extremely versatile

and simple to use for an everyday dog owner.

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 AUTOMATIC DOG FEEDER

1. INTRODUCTION

The automatic dog feeder will utilize a web-based PC that will allow a user to remotely monitor

and control food distribution to their pet. The motivation for this project is to provide a solution

for any pet owner who must leave their pet unattended for long periods of time.

1.1 Objective

The overall objective of our project is to produce an autonomous dog feeding system that boasts

ease of use and remote access to change feeding schedules. In addition to customizable feeding

schedules, the dog feeding system monitors food consumption levels and automatically adjusts

the schedule to fit your dogs habits. This product would benefit the dog owner with a busy

schedule or multiple pet owners.

1.2 Motivation

For this particular project, we wish to produce a smart dog feeding system capable of long term

operation with the ability to monitor feeding status and change schedules remotely. Current

automatic dog feeding systems on the market today are either simple gravity systems or utilize

timers. By building a dog feeder that is PC controlled we hope to provide accurate feeding

portions, prevent overfeeding, and prevent wasting food. Dog owners who wish to micromanage

their pets feeding while away can use the automatic dog feeding system to ensure their pet is

getting the nourishment they need.

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1.3 Background

All automatic dog feeding systems on the market today use gravity hoppers or simple

timer/motor combinations. For example the Perfect Petfeeder [3] is controlled through a

rudimentary interface that allows the user to set a certain amount of food to be dispensed at a

given time each day. The Petmate Le Bistro Automatic Dog Feeder [4] is similar to the Perfect

Petfeeder in its features. To the best of our knowledge no systems utilizing logic or any

electronics beyond timers are currently available for purchase.

2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND GOALS

For this project a working automatic dog feeding system prototype that updates via a web server

and utilizes logic to modify feeding profiles will be constructed. The feeder will monitor food

consumption and distribution using a load cell. The load cell will be connected to a personal

computer that uses a data acquisition board. Food will be distributed using the analog outputs on

the data acquisition board to drive a DC stepper motor connected to a feeding mechanism. Food

weight will be monitored during the distribution process to ensure accurate food portions are

issued.

Final build goals for a working prototype include:

Automatic food distribution based on pre-made profiles

Data analysis of feeding patterns with automatic profile modification

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 Online connectivity to enable remote monitoring and administration through a built in
web server

Ease of use and hands free operation

3. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Component Details

Interface National Instruments USB-6008 DAQ Board

Food Bowl 3 lb. Capacity / Plastic

Food Hopper 12 lb. Capacity

Web Server AMD Athlon 2600+ running Apache 2.2.6 HTTP Server

Motor 12V DC Step Motor

Auger 2.5-inch Diameter

Load Cell 0-10 lb. Range, 0.5lb Resolution, 0-4.5V Output

All of the components listed above are necessary for the operation of the dog feeder. The food

weight will be checked immediately before and after each feeding. The feeding amounts will be

automatically modified based on the data collected. This data will be logged and be available

through the web server for the user to view. Also, as stated previously, the user will be able to

use the web interface to set specific times and amounts for feeding his or her pet.

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4. DESIGN APPROACH AND DETAILS

4.1 Design Approach

Constructing the basic hardware of the feeder will be the first step of fabrication. The motor,

auger, hopper, bowl, and load cell must be assembled. The auger will be used to move food from

the hopper to the bowl. Also, the PC and DAQ board will be built into the enclosure. After this

basic assembly has been accomplished, the web server and DAQ programs will be loaded. Next,

a process will be implemented to allow the data collected by the DAQ to be available to the web

server. How to make the data available to the web server will become clear once the system is up

and running. A program will be written to allow the web server to control the motor through the

DAQ. A GUI must also be created for the web server. This GUI will allow the user to view the

food consumption and, of course, allow the user to control feeding times and amounts.

After all of these steps have been accomplished, a calibration test will be performed. A known

weight of food will be put into the bowl and the amount will be verified on the web server. If the

weight displayed is incorrect, we will check the load cell. If there is no problem with the load

cell, adjustments will be made in the DAQ data recording software to correct the error. A figure

of the design approach is shown below.

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 Hardware assembly (motor, auger, hopper, load cell,
bowl, integrated PC with DAQ board)

Software Installation (web server,

DAQ interface software)

Calibrate load cell / software

Not Accurate

Calibration Test

Accurate

Prototype Ready

4.2 Codes and Standards

The DAQ board that will be used has a USB interface [1]. This will make connecting the board

to the PC very easy. The PC will be connected to the Internet through either a standard Category

5e cable, or wirelessly through an 802.11g connection. The wireless 802.11g standard operates

on the 2.4GHz band. It offers a typical data rate of 19 Mbits/s and a range of 38m between

sender and receiver [2]. These characteristics are more than ample for our project.

4.3 Constraints, Alternatives, and Tradeoffs

We are considering adding a webcam so that visual feedback of the users dog can be obtained

remotely. This will add to the cost (about $40) and complexity of the code required to operate the

user interface.

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 5. SCHEDULE, TASKS, AND MILESTONES

Tasks:

Research Specifics, Finalize Features, Submit Proposal, Search for Parts, Acquire parts,

Assembly, Unit Testing, Field Testing

Aug Aug Aug Aug Sep Sep Sep Oct Oct Oct Nov Nov Nov Nov Dec Dec Dec
Task Duration Who 20 23 25 27 3 10 16 1 21 22 4 5 11 12 9 10 14
Decide on Project 1 week all
Research Specifics 6 weeks all
Find Webserver 4 weeks rp
Find DAQ Board 4 weeks rb
Find Hopper/Feeder Mechanism 4 weeks jw
Find Load Sensor 4 weeks ah
Proposal 1 week all
Acquire Parts 2 weeks all
Assembly 1 week all
Unit Testing 4 weeks all
Field Testing 4 weeks all
Final Demostration 1 week all

Our team is organizing the project so that each member contributes based on their degree

specialty. Ryan and Randy, the computer engineers, will be handling the programming. Justin

and Adam, the electrical engineers, will be handling the hardware assembly. We communicate

through phone and email and hold weekly meetings. This ensures that we are able to complete

every task within the allotted time.

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6. PROJECT DEMONSTRATION

We plan to demonstrate our finished prototype through the use of video demonstration. This

video will include footage of the all the dog feeders features as well as footage of animal

interaction with the prototype. Initially, testing will be done to ensure the dog feeders hardware

and software components are functioning to our specifications. After the device is determined to

be in working order, we will proceed with device-dog interaction to determine whether or not the

dog feeder will be accepted and utilized by the dog.

7. MARKETING AND COST ANALYSIS

7.1 Marketing Analysis

The Canine Hunger Forces automatic dog feeder will be a feeder designed for all dog lovers.

This product will be for sale worldwide, and our target will be for a range of customers. While

some kennel owners have several dogs at their care at one time, keeping track of their feeding

habits can become overwhelming. Kennel owners are responsible, and should desire, to give

their clients the optimal dog caring options available. However, while this product is ideal for

multiple dog owners, it is also applicable to those single dog owners who are always on the go.

How is this product applicable to all of the proposed customers? The Canine Hunger Force

automatic dog feeder will implement the use of the internet to keep track of the dogs feeding

habit. The internet is an existing technology that is used for almost every aspect of a persons

life, from checking personal e-mail to running a small business. With this technology available,

why not make this technology applicable for pets? From the personal web page given to the

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client, they will have access to set multiple feeding times for their dog and also monitor its

feeding habits. The use of the internet makes this feeder very intriguing for possible clients.

How does this product compare with those already on the market? Through research, we have

not found a dog feeder that implements the use of the internet in the product. There are some

feeders that allow the user to set the dogs feeding times and amounts, allowing the owner to

leave, knowing the dog will have food in his or her bowl. We found two different feeders in our

research: Perfect Petfeeder[3] and Petmate Le Bistro Automatic Dog Feeder [4]. The Perfect

Petfeeder has an alarm to let the user know if the hopper is empty, but it should be noted that

these products do not have any way of monitoring a dogs feeding habits. The proposed feeder

will have a load sensor that will monitor how much food is in the bowl to prevent overflow and

to also monitor consumption amounts. Once each feeding time occurs, the load sensor will

record data that will go to the owners web page. This data will help the owner keep up with the

overall health of the dog by monitoring which foods they like and how often they are eating. If

there happens to be a drastic change in food consumption this data will be available to the owner

so that he can take necessary action.

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7.2 Cost Analysis

The prototype construction will cost approximately $250. Shown below is a table of the cost of

each component of the feeder:

Prototype Component Prices per Unit

Component Cost

National Instruments USB-6008 DAQ Board $160

Stepper Motor Free from Georgia Tech

Load Cell Approximately $60

Food Bowl Approximately $5

Hopper Approximately $5

Web server Software and Hardware Free (hardware already obtained)

Miscellaneous hardware/ wires $20

Total $250

It is estimated that each member of the team will put in 40 hours of work to complete the project.

This time includes lecture attendance, report writing, meetings, and actual project construction

and programming.

If the prototype is successful, we will slightly redesign the unit to be more cost effective. Bulk

ordering the parts would cut down significantly on the unit price. For example, the estimated cost

for the bowl and hopper would drop to $1 for each. The production costs are shown in a table

below.

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 Mass Production Component Prices per Unit

Component Cost

PCI Based DAQ Solution $120

Stepper Motor $13 [5]

Load Cell $5

Food Bowl $1

Hopper $1

Web server Software and Hardware $30 Web server software free; (open source)

Miscellaneous hardware/ wires $20

Fringe Benefits, Overheard, Advertising $10

Total $200

We expect the unit to sell for 100% over the production cost which would be approximately

$200. Therefore the final selling price per unit would be $400. This is a reasonable selling price.

For example, a currently available feeder, with features inferior to our design, is available for

$499.00 [3]. Depending on how heavily the product is advertised, we expect to sell

approximately 1000 units per year. Over a 5 year time period, this would result in net sales of $2

million and production costs of $1 million dollars. The net profit is therefore $1 million.

8. SUMMARY

The current status of our project is that we are beginning to order our parts. We have researched

each individual part, decided which ones were cost efficient, and which ones were best for our

design. We plan on ordering the parts this week. Once we receive the parts, we will go into the

stages of programming them so they will all be synchronized together.

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9. REFERENCES

[1] NI-USB 6008 Products and Services National Instruments Internet:

http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/14604, 2007 [Sep. 15, 2007].

[2] J. Zyren IEEE 802.11g Explained Internet:

www.uninett.no/wlan/download/WP_IEEE802gExpla_12_06.pdf, Dec. 6, 2001 [Sep. 16,

2007].

[3] The Perfect Petfeeder Internet: http://www.perfectpetfeeder.com/, 2007 [Sep. 16, 2007].

[4] Electronic Portion Control Le Bistro http://www.petmate.com/Catalog.plx?ID=1823, 2007

[Sep. 16, 2007].

[5] Digi-Key - 403-1000-ND (Portescap Danaher Motion US LLC - 15M020D1B)

http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=403-1000-ND, 2207 [Sep.

16, 2007].

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