Sketching my final project

For my final project, I have decided to create an automatic cat feeder. I chose to do this because I currently face a problem with my three cats, each leading different lifestyles. Gumball has breathing issues and spends most of his days sleeping indoors. Pipoca (meaning popcorn in Portuguese) is the "wild" one who rarely stays indoors, enjoying exploring the land, climbing trees, and zooming around. Lastly, we have Gary, a mix of the two, capable of being very active or spending the whole day relaxing with Gumball. The three cats have varying food consumption patterns, and some tend to overeat due to different feeding times after we've fed them.

Introduction

At the moment, Gumball and Gary are not at a healthy weight, while Pipoca is maintaining a healthy condition. If I start feeding one less, they end up eating each other's food. To address this issue, my solution is a modular cat feeding station. Each cat will have a designated feeding pod accessible only to them. These feeding pods will be connected to the main body where cat food is stored and dispensed to each pod separately.

more detailed sketches for the final project

Feeding Process

The feeding process would be automatic and controlled through a mobile app, allowing me to set different amounts of food for each cat. Additionally, the cat door would be activated by a specific cat collar, ensuring that it only opens for the designated cat. This system not only prevents my cats from overeating but also safeguards their food from other animals, avoiding disturbances during their meals. I live in an area where the cats are fed outside, elevated to prevent interference from dogs. However, birds and wasps in the summer still linger around their food.

My final project idea was heavily inspired by Pamela Martello's final project, where she made a cat door that only allows her cat to enter through it via his collar, and Toni F. Barreiros's final project, an automatic cat feeder that uses an Archimedes screw to dispense food.