Auto Kitty Litter

This device is actuated by two touches to a touchpad sensor. Once actuated the drum is meant to be rotated and dump excrement into a hidden compartment

Main components

• Arduino
• DC Hobby Motor
• Touch Sensor
• Motor Driver
• Housing
• Grate
• Drum
• Mat
• Jumper wires

#define button_pin 2

#define AIN1 13

#define AIN2 12

#define PWMA 11

int button_press_count = 0;

int button_state = 0;

int prev_button_state = 0;

void setup() {

  delay(100);

  Serial.begin(9600);

  pinMode(button_pin, INPUT_PULLUP); // Set button pin as input with pull-up resistor

  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);

  pinMode(AIN1, OUTPUT);

  pinMode(AIN2, OUTPUT);

  pinMode(PWMA, OUTPUT);

  Serial.println("Button Count:");

}

void loop() {

  button_state = digitalRead(button_pin);

  if (button_state != prev_button_state) {//count number of touches

    if (button_state == HIGH) {

      digitalWrite(13, LOW);

    } else { // Button press

      digitalWrite(13, HIGH);

      button_press_count++;

      Serial.println(button_press_count); // Print the count

    }

    delay(50);

  }

  prev_button_state = button_state;

  if (button_press_count == 2) {

    // if two presses counted Run DC motor in one direction for 3 seconds

    digitalWrite(AIN1, HIGH);

    digitalWrite(AIN2, LOW);

    analogWrite(PWMA, 255);

    delay(3000);

    // Reverse DC motor direction for 3 seconds

    digitalWrite(AIN1, LOW);

    digitalWrite(AIN2, HIGH);

    analogWrite(PWMA, 255);

    delay(3000);

    //stop spinning

    digitalWrite(AIN1, LOW);

    digitalWrite(AIN2, LOW);

    analogWrite(PWMA, 0);

    delay(3000);

    // Reset button press count

    button_press_count = 0;

  }

}

• Secure down the stand for the motor and situate where Arduino bored will live with extra 9v battery
• attach the drum to the DC motor I used a wheel that came with my Arduino kit centered it and attached the two together
• create a roller to prop up the barrel and reduce the friction
• make a grate that will sift the litter
• also underneath the drum should live an excrement box where everything falls into once the drum rotates
• cut a hole in the drum that aligns with the hidden excrement compartment
• wire everything
• create housing to cover everything

example of how mine functioned:

https://mediahub.ku.edu/media/t/1_3pha8toc

Future changes:

•Housing

•Research of large touch sensors or

motion sensor

•Friction reduction

•Stronger DC motor/Replace with

strong servo