Automatic Dog (or cat) Treat Dispenser with Arduino | Science Project

Summary

This video tutorial demonstrates how to construct an automatic dog treat dispenser using an Arduino. It can be programmed for timed treat release, sensor-based interaction, or button-press training. The dispenser operates by rotating pre-loaded treat compartments over a hole, allowing treats to slide down a ramp into a tray. The project uses a Servo motor and real-time clock, with potential for customization using various sensors. Viewers can find a detailed parts list and circuit diagram in the description for those interested in building this at home.

Takeaways

• 🛠️ The video demonstrates building an automatic dog treat dispenser using an Arduino, which can be programmed for various functions.
• ⏰ The dispenser uses a real-time clock to track time and can be set to dispense treats at specific times of the day.
• 🔧 The mechanical design includes a hopper with compartments that rotate over a hole, allowing treats to slide down a ramp into a tray.
• 📦 For practical use, the dispenser should be made of sturdy, washable materials or placed out of the pet's reach to avoid damage from slobber.
• 🔩 The circuit includes components like a potentiometer for the LCD screen, a reset button, and optional LED and buzzer for alerts.
• 📝 The Arduino code provided can be customized for different behaviors, such as dispensing treats at set times or responding to sensors.
• 🔍 Arduino's compatibility with various sensors allows for customization, such as motion detectors or magnet sensors for pet interaction.
• 🔑 The script includes a detailed explanation of the code, including the use of libraries, setting up the real-time clock, and the loop function for treat dispensing.
• 🔄 The servo motor is programmed to rotate the compartments in increments, ensuring smooth movement and treat delivery to the tray.
• 🔒 The code includes a safety feature that requires a button press to reset the dispenser after all treats have been dispensed.
• 🔗 Additional resources such as tutorials for different sensors and a parts list are available through links in the video description.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the automatic dog treat dispenser project?

The main purpose of the project is to build an automatic dog treat dispenser using an Arduino, which can be programmed to dispense treats at certain times of the day, react to sensors that detect the dog's presence, or even train the dog to push a button.

How does the treat dispensing mechanism work in the device?

The treat dispensing mechanism works by preloading the food or treats into compartments in a hopper. A servo motor rotates the compartments one at a time, and as each compartment rotates, it goes over a hole allowing the treats to slide down a ramp into a tray at the front.

Why is the cardboard prototype not suitable for a real pet environment?

The cardboard prototype is not suitable for a real pet environment because the slobber from the pet would quickly ruin the paper, making it unsuitable for direct use.

What are the alternatives if one wants to use the dispenser at home for their pet?

The alternatives include placing the dispenser high on a counter or shelf where the pet can't reach it, allowing treats to drop below, or building a more robust and washable version of the dispenser.

What is the role of the potentiometer in the circuit?

The potentiometer is used to adjust the contrast on the LCD screen, which is necessary if one wants a readout of time and instructions.

What are the additional components that could be used to enhance the dispenser's functionality?

Additional components like a reset button, LED, and buzzer can be used to enhance functionality, such as alerting the pet with a sound when a treat has been dispensed.

How can the dispenser be customized to train or reward certain behaviors?

The dispenser can be customized to train or reward certain behaviors by using a variety of sensors compatible with Arduino, such as motion detectors, distance sensors, or magnet sensors that can detect a magnetic tag on the pet's collar.

What is the significance of the real-time clock in the Arduino for this project?

The real-time clock in the Arduino is significant as it keeps track of the time, allowing the device to dispense treats automatically at certain times of the day.

How can one modify the code to dispense treats at different times of the day?

One can modify the code by changing the conditions in the if statement to match the desired times of day when the treats should be dispensed, using the hour, minute, and second variables.

What is the purpose of the angle increment variable in the code?

The angle increment variable determines the angle by which the servo rotates with each step, which corresponds to the number of compartments in the hopper. It needs to be adjusted based on the number of compartments to ensure the servo rotates correctly.

How does the code handle the end of the treat dispensing cycle?

The code handles the end of the treat dispensing cycle by resetting the servo to its initial position and displaying a 'press button to restart' message on the LCD screen, waiting for the user to press the button to start the next cycle.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Building an Arduino-based Automatic Dog Treat Dispenser

This paragraph introduces a project to create an automatic dog treat dispenser using an Arduino. The device can be programmed to dispense treats at specific times, react to sensors that detect the dog's presence, or even be trained to respond to a button press by the dog. The mechanism involves a hopper with preloaded treats and a servo motor that rotates the compartments over a hole, allowing treats to slide down a ramp into a tray. The video demonstrates a prototype made of cardboard, which is not suitable for direct use by pets due to slobber damage, suggesting the need for sturdier, washable materials for a real-life application. The paragraph also mentions the possibility of receiving a notification to reset the dispenser after all treats have been dispensed.

05:01

🔧 Exploring the Mechanical Design and Circuitry of the Dispenser

The second paragraph delves into the mechanical design of the treat dispenser, describing the use of popsicle sticks glued at 45° angles to create compartments attached to a servo horn. It details the assembly of the cardboard structure, including the servo motor attached through a hole in the cardboard, and the use of cardstock for legs and ramp leading to the treat tray. The paragraph also discusses the circuitry involved, mentioning a potentiometer for LCD screen contrast adjustment, an LCD screen for time readout, and optional components like a reset button, LED, and buzzer. The Arduino is highlighted for its versatility with various sensors, allowing customization for different behaviors or presence detection methods. The paragraph concludes with an invitation to view a cleaner circuit diagram and parts list in the video description.

10:02

💻 Coding the Dispenser for Timed Treat Distribution

The final paragraph focuses on the coding aspect of the project, explaining the use of the Arduino Uno R4 Minima with a built-in real-time clock and the necessary libraries for the servo control and optional LCD display. It outlines the process of setting up the code with constant variables for pins and time units, and the setup function for pin modes and initializing the LCD and serial communication. The loop function is described, detailing how it checks for specific second intervals to rotate the servo and dispense treats, with adjustments possible for different times of day or sensor-based triggers. The paragraph also discusses the servo angle increment based on the number of compartments and the importance of slowing down the servo motion for smooth operation. Additional functions for LED flashing and buzzer sounding, as well as time retrieval and LCD updating, are mentioned, with the promise of more detailed instructions and example code available through provided links.

Keywords

💡Arduino

Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. It is used to build interactive projects, such as the automatic dog treat dispenser in the video. The Arduino Uno R4 Minima, mentioned in the script, is a specific model that includes a built-in real-time clock, which is essential for the project's functionality to dispense treats at certain times of the day.

💡Servo motor

A Servo motor is a type of motor that allows for precise control of its position. In the context of the video, the Servo motor is used to rotate the compartments of the treat dispenser one at a time, ensuring that treats are dispensed in a controlled manner. The script describes how the Servo motor is attached to a cardboard structure to achieve this.

💡Real-time clock

A real-time clock (RTC) is a timekeeping device that maintains the current time even when the system is powered off. In the video, the Arduino uses an RTC to keep track of time and dispense treats at specific intervals, such as every 15 seconds for demonstration purposes.

💡Compartments

In the script, compartments refer to the individual sections in the treat dispenser that hold the dog treats. They are preloaded with food and rotate over a hole, allowing treats to slide down a ramp into a tray. The compartments are made from popsicle sticks glued together at 45° angles, creating a structure that can hold multiple treats.

💡Ramp

A ramp in this context is a sloping surface that allows the treats to slide from the compartments to the tray below. It is made from card stock and is an essential part of the dispenser's design, facilitating the smooth movement of treats from the storage area to the dispensing area.

💡Circuit diagram

A circuit diagram is a visual representation of an electrical circuit that shows the components and their interconnections. The video script mentions a messy circuit on a breadboard, and a cleaner version of the circuit diagram is provided in the description for those who want to replicate the project. It is crucial for understanding how the components of the treat dispenser are wired together.

💡Sensors

Sensors in the video refer to devices that can detect various types of input from the environment and are used to customize the treat dispenser. Examples given include motion detectors, distance sensors, and magnet sensors that can be used to detect the dog's presence or train the dog to interact with the dispenser. The script suggests that sensors can make the dispenser more interactive and responsive to the pet's behavior.

💡Customization

Customization in the context of the video means adapting the treat dispenser to specific needs or behaviors. The Arduino's compatibility with various sensors allows for the dispenser to be tailored to dispense treats based on different triggers, such as the pet's presence or actions. The script encourages viewers to explore different sensors and customize the code to create a personalized treat-dispensing experience.

💡LCD screen

An LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen is used in the video to provide a visual readout of time and instructions. While it is not necessary for the basic operation of the dispenser, it can enhance the user experience by displaying information such as the time of day or prompts to reset the dispenser.

💡Code

Code in this context refers to the programming instructions written for the Arduino to control the operation of the treat dispenser. The script walks through the code that is responsible for the dispenser's timing mechanism and includes comments about how the code can be modified for different use cases or with additional sensors.

💡Debounce

Debounce is a technique used in electronics to ensure that a single input (like a button press) is not accidentally detected multiple times due to noise or contact bounce. In the script, the concept is applied to the button used to reset the dispenser, ensuring that the button press is accurately detected and does not cause unintended behavior.

Highlights

The video demonstrates building an automatic dog treat dispenser using an Arduino.

The dispenser can be programmed to dispense treats at specific times or in response to sensors detecting the dog's presence.

The device uses a Servo motor to rotate compartments filled with treats over a hole, allowing treats to slide down a ramp into a tray.

A real-time clock is used to keep track of time for scheduled treat dispensing.

The prototype is made of cardboard and popsicle sticks, which is suitable for demonstration but not for actual pet use due to slobber.

For home use, the dispenser should be made of washable materials or placed out of the pet's reach.

The Arduino program can be customized to train or reward pets for specific behaviors using various sensors.

An LCD screen is used for displaying time and instructions, but it's optional if not needed.

A potentiometer is included to adjust the contrast on the LCD screen.

The circuit includes a reset button, LED, and buzzer, which can be used to alert the pet when a treat is dispensed.

The video provides an overview of the parts and their functions rather than individual connections.

Arduino's compatibility with a wide variety of sensors allows for customization of the treat dispenser for different behaviors.

The video includes a demonstration of the code for dispensing treats at certain times using the real-time clock.

The code includes libraries for the Servo and Liquid Crystal display, and uses variables for time tracking.

The setup function in the code initializes the pins, servo, and LCD display.

The loop function updates the LCD, checks the time, and controls the servo to dispense treats at specified intervals.

The code includes a mechanism to reset the dispenser after all treats have been dispensed.

Additional functions are provided to flash an LED and sound a buzzer, and to update the LCD screen with the current time.

Detailed instructions, parts list, and circuit diagram can be found in the video description for those interested in building the project.

Transcripts

in this video I'll show you how to build

an automatic dog treat dispenser using

an Arduino you can program it to

automatically dispense treats at certain

times of day react to sensors that

detect your dog's presence or even train

your dog to push a

button here's how the device works the

compartments in this Hopper up at the

top are preloaded with the food or

treats a Servo motor rotates the

compartments one at a time the Arduino

uses a real-time clock to keep track of

the time and for the sake of

demonstration in this video I have the

motor program to rotate once every 15

seconds although for a real project you

would probably space that out much

further throughout the day as each

compartment rotates it goes over this

hole in the cardboard so the treats can

slide down a ramp into a tray at the

front now obviously this whole thing is

just made out of paper so that works

well for a demonstration at a science

fair but it would not be good for your

pet to eat out of this directly because

the slobber would pretty quickly ruin

the paper so if you want to use this for

real at home you can either place it up

high on a counter or a shelf where your

pet can't reach it so it can drop the

treats down below or you would have to

build something out of sturdier more

washable

materials after it has rotated all of

the way and dispensed all of the treats

on the next cycle I will get a

notification to press the button to

reset at which point it will rotate back

to its original position and I can load

it up with treats for the next

day let's take a look at the mechanical

design if we pop the servo horn off the

motor you can see that I have made the

compartments just by gluing together

popsicle sticks at roughly 45° angles to

make four different compartments but of

course you could space them out

differently to make a different number

of compartments those are hot glued to

the servo horn which presses on to the

motor shaft here the servo motor itself

has the shaft sticking through a hole

cut in the cardboard but the motor is

glued to the underside of the cardboard

I've made legs to hold the platform up

just out of rolled up tubes of card

stock and also made this ramp out of

card stock and taped it on to come down

into the tray at the bottom again all of

that works as a demonstration or if you

are using this for humans for something

like to dispense medication or candy

that isn't going to get the paper messy

but you would not actually want to use a

paper tray for your pet to eat out of

you would either want to make this out

of washable material or again put it up

high where your pet can't get to it so

the treats drop down below

let's zoom in to take a look at the

circuit now this is kind of a messy busy

circuit on the breadboard here so it's

hard to see all of the connections in

this video but you can go to the link in

the description to get a much cleaner

version of the circuit diagram along

with a parts list if you would like to

build this yourself so here I'm just

going to go through an overview of the

parts and what they're for rather than

going through each individual connection

so we have a potentiometer that adjusts

the contrast on the LCD screen the LCD

screen is really only necessary if you

want a readout of a time and the

instructions like press a button to

reset you don't need the screen if you

don't care about that a lot of these

connections are for the screen going

over to the Arduino I have that reset

button and then I also have an LED and a

buzzer that were not used in my

demonstration but for example if you

wanted to sound a buzzer to alert your

pet that the treat has been dropped you

could use the buzzer as

well now I have this demonstration

program to dispense treats automatically

at certain times but the great thing

about using an Arduino is that they are

compatible with such a wide variety of

sensors so for example if you want to

train or reward certain Behavior this

lets you customize your treat dispenser

to do that automatically you can use

anything from a motion detector to a

distance sensor that will measure how

far your pet is in front of something to

a magnet sensor that can detect a

magnetic tag on their collar so there

are lots of different ways you can

detect your pets presence you could

teach them to touch something so pets

don't have fingers like humans it's a

little hard for them to push buttons on

a breadboard like this but you could buy

a larger button teach your pet to press

the button you could use a microphone to

detect sound there are tons and tons of

options for how you can customize this

project so rather than showing you all

of those different options in this video

what I'm going to do is switch over to

the computer and demonstrate the code

for dispensing the treats at certain

times but you can find tutorials for all

of these different sensors in our

Arduino tutorial playlist Linked In the

description of this video and you can

then customize the code to use a

different sensor if you want but for now

let's switch over to the computer and

take a look at the code for dispensing

the treats at certain times using the

real-time clock here's the code remember

that you can download it from the link

in the description and you may need to

modify it depending on the changes and

customizations you make to your treat

dispenser so going through this line by

line at the top here we include several

libraries you need the servo library to

control the servo you only need the

Liquid Crystal Library if you are going

to include that liquid crystal display

and I should note that I am using an

Arduino Uno R4 Minima here which has a

builtin realtime clock if you are using

a separate external realtime clock

module we have a tutorial for an

external module from Adafruit Linked In

the description of this video in our

playlist

then the code will be different the code

in this video is specific to the

internal RTC on the Arduino R4 Minima we

then create a Servo object that we are

going to refer to using the servo

Library I defined some constant

variables for the pins I have different

things connected to and some other

variables for keeping track of the angle

the state of the button if you use one

and some delays to slow the servo down

and debounce or wait if you are using

the button so you don't accidentally

detect multiple button presses if you

hold the button down I also have time

variables for keeping track of the

different units of time year month day

hour minutes and seconds that is

assuming you are using the realtime

clock again if you going to modify the

code to make the motor react to a sensor

instead then you don't need to keep

track of the time and you don't need to

worry about those there is some code

based on the LCD Library to tell the

display which pins you are using to

communicate with the Arduino again so

you only need this part if you are using

that liquid crystal display and then we

get into the setup function where I have

pin mode commands to set different pins

as inputs or outputs for example the

button is an input the LED and the

buzzer are outputs and we tell it which

pin the servo is attached to set the

initial angle for the servo and

initialize serial communication

which is always useful for

debugging we set up the size of the LCD

the number of columns and rows and then

here is code to initialize the time for

the real-time clock and again this code

is unique to the built-in real-time

clock on the Arduino Uno R4 Minima where

you have to manually set the time right

before you upload the code so there are

other third party modules that will

automatically get the time when you

compile and upload the code here you

need to to remember to change this each

time you upload if you want it to be

accurate but again if you were using a

different realtime clock module this

code will be

different in the loop function I call a

function that is going to update the LCD

screen I will show you that later we

print the angle of the servo to the

serial monitor that is useful for

debugging and then here is really the

key part of the program so here is where

I am detecting certain times so I have

an if statement that says if seconds

equals 0 or that's what this double

vertical bar here means seconds equal 15

or seconds equals 30 or seconds equals

45 so I this isn't necessarily the most

efficient way to do this I could have

divided by 15 and checked the remainder

or something but instead I just wrote

out all four possible conditions so I

going to rotate the servo once every 15

seconds and this condition is what you

would change either if you are using the

real time clock and you want to make

this happen at different times of day

for example if you want to detect 9:00

a.m. you could write 9 and that's the

double Amper standand here minutes

equals z and seconds equals z so you

probably don't want to give your pet

treats every 15 seconds you would want

to change this to maybe dispense meals

twice a day or something like that so

again this is just for purposes of

demonstration for what I'm doing in this

video you need to change this to the

times of of day you want to dispense the

treats or if you are not going to use

the real-time clock at all you are going

to use other sensors instead then you

would need to add your code up here to

read values from Those sensors and

change the condition in this if

statement to depend on those sensor

readings again I am not going to

demonstrate that in this video because

we have tutorials for many different

sensors Linked In Our playlist in the

description of this video so you can go

check out those videos to learn how to

use different

sensors so whatever this condition is

whether it's the realtime clock or

something else assuming that condition

is true then inside this if statement

we're going to set the new angle

variable equal to the current angle plus

the angle increment or then going to

check as long as that new angle is less

than

180° we are going to slowly increase the

servo angle to the new position using

this WOW Loop so if you just use a

single Servo right command to go to the

new angle the servo motion will be very

fast and jerky and that's probably not

good so instead we use a while loop to

just increase the angle 1° at a time and

include a short movement DeLay So that

lets us slow the servo down so we keep

going until the angle reaches the new

angle and we've moved the servo to the

next position but note that there is an

else statement here and that will detect

if the new angle is actually greater

than 180° then that means we can't

rotate any further and we are going to

reset to the initial position so we have

another while loop that does the same

thing except this time we are decreasing

the angle by 1° at a time until it

equals zero and again we have a delay in

there to slow the servo motion down so

it is not too jerky so again to recap

the code is going to Loop through here

and each time it detects one of these

times the seconds is 0 15 30 or 40 5

it's going to increase the angle by my

angle increment variable which I should

have mentioned if I scroll back up I

have set to 45° in this program because

I built a hopper with four compartments

but if you have more compartments you

could decrease this angle to move in

smaller increments or if you only have

two compartments for example you would

increase this to 90 because the servvo

has a range of 180° so if you build

something with a different number of

compartments you would need to adjust

this angle accordingly so I'm going to

Loop through each time I detect one of

these times I increase that angle and

then once I've gone through the full

180° range I'm going to reset back to

the initial position I have a weit for

button press built in here before it

will start again so we display a press

button to restart message on the screen

and then we have this single line wow

Loop where the code is just going to get

stuck in this Loop until I press the

buttons so digital read button pin

equals low will be true when the button

is not pressed so the code will just be

stuck in this W Loop that does nothing

but the moment I press that

button this statement will become false

because digital read button pin will

equal high so this statement will now be

false it will break out of the loop

clear the screen and keep going I then

have two more functions down here that

just help me keep the code in my Loop a

little cleaner one is an optional

function to flash the LED and sound the

buzzer when the motor moves so if you

want an audible alarm so you alert your

pet to the food being dispensed you

could use the buzzer for that so this is

a loop that just blinks the LED and the

buzzer on and off a certain number of

times you can call that function from up

here if you want to do it where the

inputs are the number of flashes and the

delay or duration of each Flash in

milliseconds but I have that commented

out because I didn't want to use it in

in this video I then also have a

function for getting the time and

updating the LCD screen so I'm not going

to go through this in too much detail

because we have separate tutorials about

the realtime clock and the LCD but I get

the time from the Clock Store the time

in these different variables that I

created earlier and then have a bunch of

LCD print commands first to print the

month day and year although you could

rearrange that for different date

formats and and then to print the time

in hour minutes seconds

format remember that for written

instructions for this project including

the parts list circuit diagram and

example code you can check out the link

in the video description for over a

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