Smart IoT Pet Feeder

A modern, 3D-printed automatic pet feeder designed for remote feeding via smartphone. Built using Wi-Fi-enabled microcontrollers and efficient 3D-printed parts, this feeder dispenses food on a customizable schedule or on demand using a mobile app.

Update: I am actively updating this project page with improved documentation, refined portion calibration, and additional reliability testing.

Smart IoT Pet Feeder Overview

Wi-Fi connected feeder with app-based manual dispense and scheduled feeding.
Motor-driven dispensing mechanism (auger/rotary) with calibrated timing for repeatable portions.
Status logging: tracks last dispense, upcoming schedule, and user actions.
Reliability and safety considerations: jam detection, missed-cycle handling, and manual override.
Modular 3D-printed housing for easy cleaning and fast iteration on mechanical parts.
Cloud/API-ready design: supports lightweight MQTT/HTTP integration hooks for smart home workflows.

Tools Used

Embedded / IoT: Wi-Fi microcontroller (ESP32-class), motor driver, sensors (optional for jam/level), power regulation
Firmware: C/C++ (event/state logic, scheduling, device control), OTA update support (optional)
Networking: HTTP and/or MQTT messaging, local network control
Mechanical: 3D-printed parts (hopper, dispenser housing, mounts), iterative prototyping
CAD / Prototyping: CAD modeling + 3D printing workflow

Purpose

Design and build a reliable, app-connected feeder that automates daily feeding while emphasizing repeatable portioning, safe operation, and a mechanically serviceable 3D-printed design.

Results

Implemented remote manual dispense and scheduled feeding control over Wi-Fi.
Achieved repeatable portions through dispenser timing calibration and mechanical tuning.
Added logging and basic fault handling to improve reliability and traceability.
Built a modular 3D-printed enclosure that simplifies cleaning and maintenance.

Conclusion

This project demonstrates end-to-end hardware–software integration: designing a 3D-printed mechanism, building embedded firmware to control a motor-driven dispenser, and enabling reliable scheduling and remote operation over Wi-Fi. It strengthened my skills in embedded control, IoT communication, mechanical iteration, and building systems that behave predictably in real-world use. I’m continuing to refine the design through improved calibration, reliability testing, and expanded fault detection.