Automated Pet Feeder Overview
Undoubtedly, dogs are an important aspect of many households in the United States, though many individuals find themselves in the daily routine of feeding their pets, and for many, complications arise when one's occupation separates one from his or her pet for long periods of time each day, or when one owns more than one dog, which requires a different feeding routine than the norm. Two of the three members in our group own at least one dog, with one member owning two pets, and the other member planning on adopting a pet once shortly after graduation. Thus, several of the solutions to dog ownership that this project addresses are as a direct result of problems encountered by members of our group, and these solutions could certainly be employed in the lives of many other pet owners.
Automated Pet Feeder Specifications
As its name implies, the objectives and goals of the Automated Pet Feeder include a collection of requirements that are meant to ease the burden of pet ownership. One objective is that the Automated Pet Feeder must continually monitor the weight of the food and water supply of both its dispensers, while also holding a minimum quantity of food and water capable of feeding a large pet for an extended period of time, particularly several days. The Automated Pet Feeder must also be able to differentiate between various pet, and only dispense food to a pet specified by the owner, while simultaneously preventing unauthorized pets, and other unauthorized pets from obtaining food from the food dispenser. Support for additional functionality of the Automated Pet Feeder will be accomplished using a dedicated IP address designated to a file server, and lastly, the Automated Pet Feeder must employ inexpensive materials and a relatively simple manufacturing process, which must allow it to be priced less than competitive products.
Functionality of the Automated Pet Feeder are derived from the several objectives listed above. The Automated Pet Feeder will dispense food and water in portions of weight and volume, respectively, that will have been specified by the pet's owner, and these portions must be able to be specified from an application on the pet owner's mobile device. Data and general information regarding the dog's eating patterns will be sent to the pet owner's mobile device, also including the ability to stream live footage of the apparatus's environment from a camera located on the apparatus. The ability to differentiate between an authorized pet and unauthorized pets will be accomplished using collar recognition, which is one of the primary features that sets apart the Automated Pet Feeder from its competition.