Introduction: Automated Dog House

By mywebsite
About: Electronics, Systems, Programming, Tech, Geeky stuff.... all are my <3

Home automation, Smart house, Smart home and so on.. all of these are related to us HUMANS.. I thought why don't i try something for animals.. like a smart home for dog, since they are close friends with us :D. This project demonstrates the implementation of a smart house dedicated to fit the needs of a normal DOG :/ ( lucky dogs only ).

I will go into steps from identifying the needs to be automated, configuration, planning, architecture and building process.

Step 1: Identifying the Needs of the Dog, WHAT CAN BE Automated ?

So a dog will need a place to rest in during day or night ( depending on its schedule ).

Needs can be automated:

  • Small dark house to sleep in
  • Warm space during winter (for countries that has big change in temperatures such as -Turkey, Cyprus,.. -between summer and winter )
  • Fresh air during summer inside the place ( so lucky dog )
  • Food & water
  • Lighting ( this is not a need but i added it :D )

Step 2: Automation System Planning

The system is built with a way that the owner will be able to configure the settings via android application in real time. such configurations could be:

  • Number of meals per day
  • Temperature must be saved inside the house

In the figures (diagrams) the system architecture, system flow, sub-systems architectures are self explanatory. (take a look)

The diagrams background is transparent, you may have to download in order to see well

Step 3: Building Process: Hardware

Okey so i have to build the thing after i have planned. Unfortunately in this place where i live there is no available affordable material for DIY projects so i was digging in the near by rubbish looking for cartoon, plastics which can be used in this project as RECYCLING material :D. I have found 2 big cartoons of TVs and some other small ones in addition to some other plastics. Bending the stuff and gluing them to obtain the shape of a small dog house :D. So with this i have finished 50% of the project.. then distributing the sensors around and wiring cables...

For the heat system, i fixed a damaged one found in between the rubbish and put it in a box and plug it to the house through a duct.

For the food system (here i did something nice ) i obtained 2 bottles of water empty them and open a hole in the bottle cover. I bought a siring removed the damper from it and wire it with a rope then plug it into the bottle cover in a way that if you pulled the rope, the goods will run out of the bottle and if you release it, it will close ( NOTE: bottle mounted upside down)...

Polish the house with green.

Step 4: Building Process: Software

So far so good. I will explain the main mechanism and i will link to the code.

The house is working in ideal process:

  • Dog is inside
    • If temperature not as what we configured
      • Run the heating system to optimize the weather inside
    • if food time:
      • dispense some amount in the bowl
      • notify the dog by vibrating the house ( LOL )
  • If night:
    • Turn on outside lights
  • if user connected to the house via mobile application:
    • Update paramters
    • restart the house system to commit changes

Code: I have used some pre-built libraries i have done in previous instructables such as the stepper motor driver, and serial command extractor as well as i used a timer library to schedule the events in order organize the senors and actuators jobs