Presentations: Fish Feeder Machine (FFM)



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Video:


Ideation: Fish Feeder Machine (FFM)



I like to develop a fish feeder as my final project because I have a fish pond where I rear fish for commercial activities. This machine will be designed to provide automatic, precise, and scheduled feeding for my fish.

What will it do?

Dispense fish feed into a fish pond based on a scheduled time, some sensors etc.

Who will have done what beforehand?

Similar automated fish feeding systems will have been developed previously for aquariums. This project will build upon existing solutions like the one done by Neville Govender (Fab Academy 2018) and FFAZ Automatic Fish Feeder.

What will you design?

A programmable feeder unit equipped with sensors and actuator to feed my fish. The feeder unit will be controlled by a microcontroller, and users will be able to customize feeding schedules and portion sizes.

What materials and components will be used?

Materials and components will include:

  • Microcontroller
  • motors
  • Sensors
  • Hopper for fish food storage
  • Enclosure for the feeder unit
  • Power supply unit

Where will they come from?

The components can be sourced from various electronics suppliers and hobbyist stores both online and offline.

How much will they cost?

Costs will vary depending on the specific components and suppliers chosen.

What parts and systems will be made?

The feeder unit, including the enclosure and mechanisms for dispensing food, will be made, assembled and integrated into the system.

What processes will be used?

Processes involved will include:

  • Designing and prototyping the feeder unit
  • Programming the microcontroller for control and sensor integration
  • Testing and calibration of sensors and control mechanisms

What questions will be answered?

  • How can we automate fish feeding to ensure optimal nutrition and feeding schedules?
  • What sensors and control mechanisms are necessary for monitoring and adjusting feeding parameters?
  • How can we provide a user-friendly interface for customizing feeding schedules and portion sizes?

What will work? What won't?

Successful integration of sensors and control mechanisms for automated feeding is anticipated. Challenges may arise in calibrating sensors and ensuring accurate dispensing of food.

How will it be evaluated?

The system will be evaluated based on its ability to maintain optimal feeding schedules and provide a user-friendly interface for customization.

Project timeline

Task Activities Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Concept Ideation x x
Sketch x x
Design CAD x x
Circuit Board x x x
Coding Embedded x x
User Interface x
Construction Metal work x
System integration x
Testing Extruder test x
Field test x

Design



CAD

I used OndSel CAD to design the FFM consisting of a pole, extruder, circuit board container and the main container

Pole

The pole is 1.5m long and will be anchoring the remaining parts of the machine

Extruder

This is a T shape pipe that contains a screw to drive the feed and a propeller to dispense the feed.

The Screw:
The Propeller:

Circuit Boaard Container

This contains the main circuit board and the battery.

Container holder

The container holder is connected to the pole plate through a Load Cell to act as a weight sensor.

Main Container

The container that holds the feeds

Complete 3D Model

3D Model:

Electronics

A complete details on how I design the circuit is found in Week 8: electronics design

The circuit is based on this block diagram:

Main Circuit Board Bill of Material

SN Item Qty
1 Capacitor (10uF) 2
2 Voltage regulator (AMS1117-5.0) 1
3 Resistor (10k, 100) 4, 2
4 Diode (CDBM1100-G) 2
5 Seeeduino XIAO ESP32S3 module 1
6 IDC connectors (CONN HEADER SMD 4POS 2.54MM) 5
7 Mosfet (RFD16N05LSM9A) 2
8 Connectors (GCT_BG300-06-X-X-A_REVC) 2

Coding



I have implemented the code bit by bit head on to the following pages for more details:

The complete code can be downloaded under the Sources section


Construction



Materials used

  • Metal is used for constructing the pole
  • PVC pipe is used to construct the extruder
  • Water dispenser bottle is used as the main container
  • Acrylic is used to construct the container holder
  • Wood is used to produce the fish-like cover for the extruder
  • Vinyl sticker is used to coat the wood
  • PLA is used for printing the screw, propeller, and circuit board cover

Pole

The pole was constructed from a galvanized pipe and a metal sheet.


Extruder Assembly

The videos below shows how the extruder was constructed:

Painting

I used white spray paint to give it nice white color

Circuit Assembly

The main PCB board, RTC module, HX711 ADC converter module for load cell and the battery is packaged within the circuit board container nicely as shown below:


Complete Assembly

A 3 watt solar panel is added to charge the battery.

To cover the extruder and make it looks nice, I cut a fish-like shape of wood using ShopBot


The same shape was cut from a white sticker using vinyl cutter to coat the wood

it was then attached to the opposite sides of the extruder

this is the complete assembly

Here I control feed dispensing from a mobile interface

Installed at the farm:


Testing



Extruder testing

Field testing



BOM



SN Item Qty Cost ($)
1 Main Circuit Board 1 15
2 Weight sensor 1 2
3 RTC module 1 3
4 Galvanized pipe 1 10
5 PVC pipe (@ local store)
- 2 T-junction
- 1 socket
3
6 Solar panel 1 5
7 Li-ion battery 1 3
8 Water Dispenser Bottle 1 1
9 Miscellaneous (screws, copper board, hot glue, etc.) - 10
Total 52.00

Sources