[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSCC2Z96s3g]
When travelling, it can always be a pain to have your cats cared for. There are some commercial automated solutions out there, but they tend to be pricey, especially when there are two required. These two cats don’t need to worry though. They have an internet enabled monster of a system.
The system used is pretty unique. They wanted internet connected relays, but didn’t want to put an entire computer in line just for the cat feeder. Instead, a Cisco router was hacked to run relays hooked to the status lights on the ports. Not only can it be controlled over the internet, there is also a live feed so you can see the cats as the binge. These are some pretty lucky cats. They also have an automatic cat door.
[via Hackedgadgets]
That’s a switch, not a router.
What about water? ;-)
I’d like to see something like that with an arduino and ethernet shield.Anyone gonna do that?
that’s one good video presentation!!
no shaking, no electrocrappy dance music.
thumbs up …. nd for the project too :)
Totaly agree. I can’t stand techno music when it’s Sunday 7:30AM…
Now if there was just a good litterbox cleaning solution, I’d feel good leaving my two for longer than two days.
train your cat to use the toilet, add an automatic flush system (and hope the flush automation doesn’t fail, that could get messy)
makezine just did a great article on a DIY cat potty training project. Cheap and simple.
Unless the switch was laying around and was free, i think this is overkill. Same could be accomplished with an arduino and ethernet shield, no need the “Custom relay board that gets the signal from leds” either.
Use what you have. Not everyone has an arduino lying around. Plus, if you are more comfortable with networking code than microcontrollers, then you are good to go.
Arduino + ethernet shield = $60+.
Switch that you aren’t using = Free!
This is a great hack. The web interface is also awesome makes me think I really need to work on a web UI for my computerized grow box.
I agree with the comments that arduino and ethernet shield would have been easier, but many times doing something the easy way is much less fun. With my grow box hooking up a timer to a cardboard box to light timer with a couple of CFLs would have been easier (and a bigger fire hazard) though way less fun…
I feed my cat by leaving an open bag of food. Works okay for a few weeks til she gets down to the bottom which gets microbial from kitty slobber. Then she occasionally gets an upset stomach and throws up on the carpet.
Haven’t tried it with my new kittens yet, but there’s two mostly-full bowls of food out right now so I think that they’ll be fine for the same system eventually.
More like a cat feeder enabled router imho =)
Does anyone know where to find out more on how to control the leds on the switch?
LOL!!!11
The switch is a Cisco CATalyst 1900!
ROFLMAO!1
As a fellow internet-enabled cat food feeder (http://andres-leon.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-first-arduino-project-diy-automatic.html), i salute you! :)
I specially like the presentation and the way you used the dispenser. It probably allows for a better and more consistent portion distribution than my solution. I also liked your video editing.
Again, congrats and way to go using the equipment you had.
What about water? ;-)
Posted at 10:48 am on Dec 3rd, 2009 by Spunkmeyer
That’s what the toilet is for.
I’m just kidding…
The switch hack was a bit over the top.. but if it does the job!
WOW !!!
That was some really Gay Music.
Yeah, but now you need to watch out for the script kitties.
see the cats as they binge
FTFY
I once had a home/internet web camera.
But I got rid of it after seeing my dogs getting on.
Seeing that on the internet really creeped me out.
Now _THAT_ is a hack. :)
(digs Catalyst 1900 out of the garbage)
Now this is a clever a hack.
I would have ended up using a rabbit micro controller to implement this and spending a lot more.
That’s just silly, and inspirational.
Brilliant! I especially love the detailing on the chutes and the clear tube.
I would like to see a CAT FOOD DENIAL OF SERVICE HACK! Lousy fur balls!
So if your internet gets cut, your cat dies..?
Very nice anyway..!
Haha, well done, love it ! I might try making something similar with an extra x10 relay I have hanging around. Thanks for the great idea !
@Peter:
I did this once before…
I was reprogramming WGT-634u routers with OpenWRT to be wireless clients en-masse, so I built a custom one to auto program the others. Since the programming process took several minutes and four phases, I wanted some sort of indicator to show the progress in case one of the units to be programmed failed during the process. Since I needed four indicators, and didn’t need the four switch ports on the programmer, I used the switch port status LEDs. To do this, I jumpered each port on the bottom of the circuit board into a loopback type arrangement, so each port would show a link, and then I used my programming script to toggle the duplex of each port to turn the duplex LEDs off and on. Worked great…
Also @ Peter:
If you were asking how you would toggle the LEDs specifically on this switch, my IOS is a little rusty, but I think the commands would be something like:
ip int conf [Interface/Port Name] duplex full &
ip int conf [Interface/Port Name] duplex half
@Peter:
After reading his script, I see he is turning the ports off and on instead of toggling the duplex, using the shutdown/no shutdown commands instead of the duplex full/duplex half commands. I used duplex in my project because the unit used bi-color leds, and I wanted to switch from green to yellow instead of just turning the green color off and on…
Shame he used IOS, it would be far more apropriate for him to have used a Cisco switch running CAT-OS!