Raspberry Pi Pico feeds Píkíta the chihuahua twice a day
Riciery Penques, a pet owner with a punctual chihuahua named Píkíta, didn’t want to risk disrupting his furry friend’s feeding schedule. To ensure precise and timely meals, he crafted a Raspberry Pi Pico-powered pet food dispenser. This device is programmed to activate a stepper motor at designated meal times, rotating it to dispense the exact amount of food required into Píkíta’s bowl.
Determining the right duration for food dispensing involved a straightforward process: Riciery measured the time it took for the motor to fill the bowl to the desired level and incorporated this data into his MicroPython code. The stepper motor operates a large internal worm screw, which transports food from the hopper above to the feeder’s outlet positioned directly above the pet’s bowl.
Powered by a cellphone charger, the feeder eliminates the need for batteries, ensuring continuous operation without the risk of power failure. The entire device, including the body and container, was 3D-printed, with black filament for the body, clear filament for the container, and flexible TPU 90 for the lid, which seals hermetically to keep Píkíta’s biscuits fresh and crunchy.
Riciery generously shares the code and assembly instructions for the automatic feeder on his Instagram and TikTok accounts, encouraging fellow pet owners to embark on their own inventive projects. Whether your pet is as discerning as Píkíta or not, this DIY pet feeder offers a practical and customizable solution for ensuring regular and precise feeding times.
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