Updates
September 1, 2017
Research Topic:
- Materials we could choose from excluding carpet: laminated wood, steel, plastic
- What music relieves stress for cats & kittens
- Mama cat with heartbeat doesn’t have any scientific research, therefore we disregarded implementing it
- Temperature control
- Artificial pheromones to reduce stress
September 18, 2017
This is a picture of our first sketch. However, this sketch was discarded due to the base having a large area. We also decided to eliminate the idea of designing the furniture using only square boxes because it limited our creativity.
September 27, 2017
After scrapping our first design we decided to sketch a few sketches that are a bit more complex compared to our previous one. We still need to figure out the dimensions of our playset, but as of right we we have a general idea of what design we would like to go with.
October 5, 2017
We payed a visit to the animal shelter so we can take measurements of the cam room as shown above in the first two pictures. We are mainly focusing on building the cat stands for the cam room so that the kittens can be seen easily by people that are walking to the adoption room. We also took the time to ask our partner about the cleaning solution/disinfectant they use so that we can find building materials that would be compatible and resistant.
October 11, 2017
Our group came across a problem with the idea of detachability. We spent several ours thinking about how we were going to implement detachiblity into the 3 cat stands that we want to build. After talking it over with each other we came to a conclusion and found out that it will definitely work, since we are using PVC pipes in all our designs. We went to Home Depot to see what we could do with PVC pipes and as shown in the picture above we managed to get it be detachable without having to use any screws. We also took into consideration of not making it bulky when using connectors.
October 20, 2017
These 3 pictures are our final recommended design for the 3 cat stands. The picture in the middle is the most important one because it’s the one that will be specifically for the kittens and it will be placed in the cam room, while the other two will be bigger and larger in size and it will accommodate both cats and kittens. The two bigger cat stands can be moved around from the adoption room to the cam room and vice versa.
November 17, 2017
These are pictures of our first CAD design. We decided to primarily focus on the middle cat stand that will be placed in the cam room. We kept in mind the idea of detachibility and it works well with this design. It can be taken apart so that it can be easily cleaned by the volunteers at the shelter.
Check out our demo video for our device!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1e9pMehdP0JUmlBQ2g3Tnc5aHM
Our team had its final presentation. During the presentation we were able to demo the spinner and display our conceptual designs.
What is left now is to leave a great legacy for our next team. As the year ends, we plan to leave the incoming team with huge room to grow and expand on our project such as with the distribution system and with the heating of the formula. In addition, they will also be left with great materials such as the arduino.
and mixing shaft.
The team just finished it’s prototype! After multiple designs, we decided to go with an arduino to create the automated kitten formula mixer. With a power shield and motor driver, we were able to increase the voltage output. In addition, the prototype was done using a cardboard box and a 3D printed mixing shaft. The concept was that the formula and water would be manually inserted and the formula would then be prepared through an arduino. Laslty, the formula would then be poured into a bottle that will be used for the kittens.
By March 9th, our team has presented our current progress.
So here we have created a use flow chart for our systems. The problem with kittens is that they are not able to regulate their own body temperature. To solve this problem, kittens are served warm milk. The problem with this process is that this takes a lot of time and there should be an easy way to automate this. The system that we are creating will mix the milk using an re-purposed automated baby food mixer. Afterwards, the user will refrigerate the formula and heat it when needed. It will then be put in a disposable bag to feed the kitten so there will be no need to clean it anymore..
For the heating system, there are still many options to go such as a heating pad, heated bottle, and heated lamp. For this to be decided there are still many pros and cons to consider and some of these may be consider dangerous if not implemented correctly and accidentally burn the kittens. As of right now, a heating fan is the most viable as its the safest.
Lastly, the budget has been shown and there will be a cost of $150 this semester, leaving about $1850 for future costs.
A new team has inherited the project for the semester of Spring 2017! We met with the project partner and have decided to tackle the feeding system and the heating system. The feeding system that we were left with was a prototype.
Here the idea was to make it easier to feed the kittens as there will be less hassle to dispose expired kitten feed as it has a lifespan of about one hour. For this semester, instead of focusing on the distribution of the mix we will be focusing on the creation. This will be accomplished by creating a machine that can either shake, stir, or vibrate until the mix is made. Once the mix is made, it should be able to be dispensed and distributed among the kittens.
Secondly, the heating will also be a focus of this semester as well. Kittens at a young age cannot regulate their own body temperatures. For this reason, we will be discovering methods to heat the kittens. Our original idea followed this model.
We wanted to use a heating system as a fan in order to provide warmth via Convection. For this reason, we believed that a fan will accomplish this the best. The ideas are to either use a separate heater or to add a heater to the mixer and use that to heat the milk and the cage.
Next week we will update for our Mid-Semester Presentation!
Last week we met with our project partners and discussed our current prototype ideas. Our partner’s feedback threw an unexpected curve ball. Rather than focusing our design on the care of neonatal kittens, our partners prefer we focus on kittens ages three weeks and above. After feeding a ten-day-old kitten, the decision was made to shift the focus of the age range. The ten-day-old kitten struggled to find the nipple that was attached to a syringe. Feeding the kitten required close monitoring. Although the age range of our design has shifted, we still plan to design a device with the intent of neonatal kitten care in mind.
Repurposing our design was unexpected. Shifting the focus from neonatal to three weeks and older changed the feeding requirements of our device. Rather than a strictly formula diet, the kittens will now drink formula until the age of four weeks and then begin to wean off of a liquid diet. Weaning the kittens off of formula means that our device needs to distribute a combination of formula mixed with dry food. We intend to serve the formula-kibble combination in a paste like substance and distribute it the same way as the formula.
Our original design idea was to create a mama cat inside of a container for the kittens to live in. The mama cat would have an automated feeding system that distributed the formula every few hours, as needed. After the kittens fed, the system would alert the volunteers. The ideas and options that we presented to the partner regarded the heating system, container type, feeding mechanism, waste management, and portability requirements.
Other than the shift in age rage, our meeting finalized other design concepts. The partners decided that they would like the heat source to come from the bottom of the container on one side, rather than from the mama cat. The partners also preferred that the mama cat be removable rather than attached to the container. A removable mama cat allows the partners to remove the fake cat once the kittens are entirely weaned off of formula and replace it with a kibble bowl. However, the partners still put a high priority on the mama cat being an autonomous feeding system. This means that our feeding system is responsible for mixing, heating, and distributing the food to the kittens. The partners requested that any leftover formula or formula-kibble-mix be saved rather than disposed of. Lastly, the partners determined that once the device has been finalized and tested, it would typically stay put in the shelter. This means that portability is a lower priority.
Looking forward, this week we begin building our prototype. During our meeting we will experiment with different household items in an attempt to create a rough prototype.
On October 26th our group presented our current progress and our plans moving forward. We began the presentation by discussing the amount of care kittens require.
Kittens need to be hand fed multiple times throughout the day, which can be quite time consuming for the volunteers and staff. In addition to feeding, neonatal kittens cannot constrict their skin blood vessels. This means they cannot maintain their body temperature. Kittens can also suffer from fading kitten syndrome as a result of maternal neglect, which can lead to death.
Although we seek to create a device capable of providing all of the necessary care to the kittens, the requirements of the users must also be taken into consideration. Regardless of our device’s capabilities, the kittens will still require around the clock care. In order to simplify the task of caring for the kittens at night, the device must be easily portable. The device also needs to be durable enough to handle litters of kittens clawing at the interior while still providing a soft, comfortable environment. In addition to durable, our device needs to be easily cleanable. Our device also needs to alert the volunteers after kitten feedings.
Our group then created a use flow diagram to help guide our brain storming.
Looking forward, we will be meeting to further discuss final prototype decisions. We will then be meeting with our project partners at the Richardson Animal Shelter to narrow down our selections and come up with a few possible designs.