Project note
Cat Feeder Part#2
Cat Feeder Part#2: 🎨 Design rethink After living with the first design a bit, I didn’t like the look — it felt like a mix of a wasp and some other bug. I restarted to keep the design clean. • IoT • cat-feeder, desiggn
🎨 Design rethink
After living with the first design a bit, I didn’t like the look — it felt like a mix of a wasp and some other bug. I restarted to keep the design clean.
🧱 3D visualizations
When I asked ChatGPT to redesign it based on my sketches:
⚙️ Motor logic & water‑wheel
The mechanical approach stayed the same, so I started coding the DC motor control and the water‑wheel that moves the pellets. Demo below:
An updated prototype below:
New protoype due to pellets get stuck:
Nema with motordriver:
⏭️ Next steps
- Finalize enclosure proportions for the cleaner look.
- Tune motor PWM and step time per portion.
- Add jam detection (current spike or Hall sensor).
- Finish wiring and controller integration.