Tweeting Pet Bowl

Have you ever walked past your pet’s water or food bowl and see it empty; only to wonder how long your pets have been without water? Here’s my take on a solution to this problem: a bowl that tweets when it is empty or low on contents. It’s a simple build and should be adaptable to any bowl you choose. And best of all, it’s wireless!

My hope in writing this instructable is that you can, of course, make your own tweeting pet bowl, but also that this can be used as a reference. That being said, this is my first instructable, so I appreciate any feedback that would help make future instructables better.

So let's get started!

Step 1: What You Need

Here's what you need to make your own tweeting pet bowl.

Hardware
2 x XBee Module
2 x XBee Adapter
1 x USB FTDI Cable
1 x Force-Sensitive Resistor
1 x 10K Ohm Resistor
1 x 2 AA Battery Holder
2 x AA Battery
1 x Small Perfboard
10 x Nuts
1 x Dog Bowl
? x Extra Wire

Software
We'll be using Python for this project so you'll need to have it installed on the computer you plan to hook up the receiver to. If you don't already have Python and/or the other dependencies installed, don't worry: I will cover how to install Python later in the instructable.

Skills
All you really need are some basic soldering skills and a little patience.

Comments

[soda_girrl]

What a great idea! I can see this application used in other areas as well, patient monitoring ect. great job :)

[pdxnat]

Nice instructable! For more information on How to install Python packages on Windows 7, click it. Congrats!

[cmay5]

This is so cool! I have two wonderful dogs at home and I get so upset when I pass by their water bowl and see it empty! This would be very useful for me! And it's wireless which makes it really convenient! Thank you for this! I really think this should be the winner!

[SHIFT!]

Very useful! As a pet owner of two, I'm always very concerned whether my pets are staying hydrated enough, so this is the perfect solution for me!