Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Schedulable Autonomous Fish Feeder |
Brandon MacIntosh Colby Steber Jeremy Richardson |
Sanjana Pingali | proposal1.pdf |
|
| Team Members: - Colby Steber (csteber2) - Jeremy Richardson (jrr13) - Brandon MacIntosh (bm53) # Problem Fish feeders currently on the market are limited on how much convenience they give fish owners when they are away from their tank. If you want to feed your fish at a certain time, you usually have to set a timer for 12 or 24 hours in advance to feed them. There is also no reassurance that your fish is actually being fed and eating. Owners just have to assume that the machine is working as intended. This poses a major problem when gone for extended periods of time, such as winter break. # Solution With our fish feeder, the user will not only be able to feed their fish from any location by using a mobile app, but they will also be able to schedule the exact times they want the feeder to dispense food, allowing them to customize their feeding times. In addition, the feeder will have a sensor that will detect when the food container rotates and send a notification to the user so they can ensure that their fish was fed. The feeder will be plugged into the wall to make certain that the feeder will work for extended periods of time. If the power goes out or if the feeder is not being supplied with AC power from the wall, it would switch to battery power. This solution would require a PCB, microcontroller with wireless transmitter, rotating motor, sensors, mobile app, and a power system. Other components could be added, such as a camera, water quality sensor, and indicator LEDs. # Solution Components ## Subsystem 1: Microcontroller This microcontroller will implement the processing of the data along with triggering the circuit to engage the motor, communicate via WiFi to connect to an app, and take input from sensors such as the feeder engage sensor. There will also be external ports that connect to the microcontroller for additions of other sensors, such as a possible water quality sensor or camera. Possible Microcontroller: ESP32 ## Subsystem 2: Rotating Motor and Sensor This subsystem will consist of a motor that will be connected to the main PCB via a relay. The relay will take input power from the battery and a signal to switch on from the ESP32. The output shaft will hold the container of food. The container will have a magnet on the part of the food container that rotates so that a sensor can detect when it rotates to ensure that the food actually dispensed. Possible Motor: 5V Motor at 12RPM Possible Sensor: Hall-effect sensor of some variety ## Subsystem 3: Mobile App The mobile app will be programmed with multiple buttons that will communicate with the wireless transmitter on the ESP32. These buttons would manually feed the fish, change the feeding schedule, and turn on/off the feeder. The app will also notify the user when food is being dispensed and when the food level in the feeder is low. The app would also be used for implementation of the camera or water quality add-on. ## Subsystem 4: AC Switching / Charging System This subsystem will consist of an IC that will be used to switch between AC power and battery power and another IC to control the charging of the battery. The battery would be a LiPo battery that is used as a backup to AC wall power. When AC power is restored, the charge controller will calculate how much charge is needed to put 100% charge in the battery. When AC power is available, the unit will use AC power. The battery will solely be for a backup. Possible Implementation: One IC to control the charge and one IC to implement switching different sources, a battery, and an input port such as USB-C. # Criterion For Success - Manual feeding via button on feeder and in app works. - Magnetic sensor detects that the food actually dispensed into the tank. - App successfully notifies the user that the food was dispensed. - When scheduling feeding times using the app, the food is dispensed at the specified times. - When no AC power from the wall is detected, the feeder switches to battery power. |
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