Pet Feeder version 1

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos or videos of the assembly of the first version, as I started making it before I even thought about a YouTube channel. 

Overall, this is a working design. But it didn't work for me due to the following problems:

• Inconvenient food addition to the container
• Ants are attracted to the cat's bowl
• Some types of food get stuck during dispensing

However, this has been working for a long time for my friend, because his cat eats a different food.

Pet Feeder version 2

Printing and modeling took several days. In total, about 700 grams of plastic were used for the entire project, but only 300 grams are needed for the final version. This is because nearly every component had to be printed twice to improve the design. PLA natural-colored plastic was used.

Printing the parts and assembling the base

Creating an electrical junction for connecting the USB port, servo motor, and ESP32-CAMAttaching the servo motor and the food dispensing gear

Attaching the power connector

Installing the ESP32-CAM enclosure

Now we need to create a new ESPHome device for the ESP32-CAM and flash it with HomeAssistant.

Connecting ESP32-CAM and wiring it up

For this version of the pet feeder, I decided to create something akin to a conveyor system. Under the force of gravity, the food drops onto a rotating shaft and is pushed further towards the bowl.

Assembling the food dispensing mechanism

Attaching the design elements

Initial Testing

Testing the feeder with peas and various types of cat food

It's ready!

Now you can create an automation in HomeAssistant for automatic feeding at scheduled times or simply feed your pet with a single press of a widget.

Additionally, you can train your artificial intelligence model to automatically fill the bowl.

Pet Feeder version 3

Project Overview

The goal: build a feeder that can provide food to chinchillas once per day, automatically, for at least 10 days without human intervention.

Technical Requirements

Before diving into CAD software and prototypes, I gathered the following requirements:

• The feeder must accommodate one or more chinchillas.
• Each chinchilla requires 30–35 grams of food per day.
• If feeding two chinchillas, the feeder must dispense 60–70 grams per day.
• The device should operate autonomously for a minimum of 10 days, totaling 600–700 grams of food.
• Reliability and ease of use are key—this is intended for daily use by pet owners.

Step 1: Designing the Container

The container determines the size and structure of all other components. I began by modeling the food storage unit in Fusion 360. This set the framework for:

• Volume capacity
• Feed dispensing geometry
• Mounting and mechanical integration

Step 2: Generating Gears

To handle the food dispensing mechanism, gears were essential. Fusion 360's plugin for spur gear generation was used to quickly model the transmission system. This allowed me to:

• Customize gear ratios
• Ensure precise motion control
• Integrate with a motor for timed operation

Step 3: 3D printing

Step 4: Mechanical Assembly and Prototyping

Once the core components were modeled, I assembled them. The gear system connects to a rotating drum that meters food portions. The food is poured through the hole into the bowl.

Step 5: Testing and Adjustment

After 3D printing the parts and assembling the feeder:

• I ran multiple test cycles to ensure position accuracy. To do this, you can bend the lever.
• The configuration works in such a way that the controller only wakes up to deliver food, so it can work for weeks depending on the battery.
• You can add a notification in case of food getting stuck.

Final Thoughts

This feeder can work as a standalone device or as part of a smart home system, and you can also customize the configuration to suit your own needs.