Using the Arduino IoT Cloud to Distribute Pet Treats

Recently, one of Instructables consumer pals mikerobertgodfrey tracked a senior dog who studies common separation anxiety, which causes him to panic when left alone. To try and help out, Mike decided to come along with a digital pet camera for distance training.

The device was constructed by first taking several rectangular pieces of plywood and fitting them together around a crucial hub to create a fan-shaped item with a total of 8 treat compartments. This thing then becomes sandwiched between a sturdy wooden base and a clean acrylic masking plate for you to prevent the treats from falling out. Finally, Mike attached a servo to the back in order to rotate the timing mechanism and also integrated a board into the bottom.

In terms of wiring, the setup became quite simple, as the servo became tied to force pins and a digital pin on the RP2040. All the "magic" happens in the , where Mike has set up a dashboard with inputs for assigning a chord, manually setting the servo position, and even flipping an RGB light. Once the virtual "drop treat" button is pressed, the servo rotates a predetermined amount to drop a piece below. Meanwhile, a counter continues the real-time music of the remaining number.

To see this task in motion, you can watch its build video below and review the full mission write-up.