VTC Senior Project

CatKeeper: Automated cat feeding made simple

Statement of Purpose

Designed to assist busy or absent cat owners, this project offers automated feeding and watering with minimal work on the part of the owner: simply provide food and water in the storage containers and press start. The cat will be fed every 12 hours up to a user set feed level, and given water every 1.5 hours. The user can optionally use a companion phone app to manage the device remotely. This project was chosen as a multidisciplinary design challenge; to make substantial improvements and augmentations to an inherently simple device using as many original concepts and designs as possible, whilst working with a realistic budget imposed by existing models and a community survey, strict adherence to proper time management, and persistence towards continuous improvement and meticulous design work.

Frequent vacationers and busy cat owners have met their match.

Project Trailer and Demonstration Video

CatKeeper.mp4

Key Design Features

  • Parallel control and status functionality: simple onboard controls and status indication with the option to control and monitor the device remotely

  • 12-hour feeding schedule

  • 1.5-hour watering schedule

  • 2L storage capacity for food and water

  • Three setting feeding volume control

  • Optional power-loss recovery by supplying a CR2032 backup battery

  • Power saving when device is idle

Casing Design *

All-original designs created with KeyCreator direct 3D modelling.

Design Specifications:

  • Dimensions: 306x165x538 (LxWxH)

  • 0.1mm global tolerance for all non-planar connection surfaces

  • 21 Individual components

  • 15 Unique component designs

  • Connection points sized for M3 fasteners (countersunk where applicable)

  • Integrated sensor mounting locations, offering alignment accuracy , especially for the optical food sensing

Fabrication Specifications:

  • Designed for additive manufacturing by a Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D printer

    • Printed using Hatchbox 1.75mm PLA filament

    • 0.2mm Layer height

    • 0.8mm Shell thickness

    • 1.2mm Top and bottom layer thickness

    • 10% Infill density

    • Direct platform adhesion (3 line skirt used to prime and manual bed leveling completed before all prints)

* Food storage bottles, bowls, pump, mill assembly, PCB, and all electronics not included in diagram. All components shown are purely structural designs.