While most pet owners are happy to help out their furry friends, everyone has a limit. For [Gauthier], getting up to open or close the window every three minutes so their cat can go out on the balcony was a bridge too far, so they decided to take a crack at automating the window. The end result not only does the job, it’s extremely low-tech and pretty much invisible except when in use.
Of course, [Gauthier] didn’t arrive at this solution immediately. Their first thoughts went to RFID or perhaps a pressure sensor to detect the cats, coupled with something motorized to open and shut the window, like a belt or maybe a linear actuator. But ultimately, the system has to be robust, so that’s when [Gauthier] got the idea to employ gravity by using pulleys and weights.
Due to the configuration of the space and the shape of the window, [Gauthier] was able to to hide cable pretty well — you can’t really see anything when the window is closed. Be sure to check it out in action after the break.
I have something like this setup for my patio screen door so the pets can’t get out. The main side effect is that since I’m used to pulling a little harder to open the screen, I tend to slam my friend’s screen doors open and then forget to close them
When I was a kid my dad attached a long rubber band to my door at the top so that it would close automagically(TM)
Worked like a charm!
Well animals are suppose to be smart so it should have been a keypad the cat punches the code in to be let in and out.
I keep trying to train them, but my cats still won’t order me a pizza
That’s rude! Are they at least paying rent?
So how does the cat get out to kill?
Replace the thread with Nylon and it will be mostly invisible even when the window is open.
So anyone that see the cat go out can get in. Smart.
Sure but it illegal to steal.