DIY'er makes a pet access control system

If you're looking for a way to get your pups eating what you want, when you want, you might want to check into one DIY'ers clever solution for an RFID feeding scheme. The trouble all began when a gentleman named Mike Larsen needed to feed one of his dogs a special diet even though food had to be out constantly for his canines -- thus making that goal quite difficult to achieve. After discovering no commercial products to suit his needs (likely due to an apparent patent-hoarder), he decided to put his own solution together, using some RFID key fobs, a small proximity card access kit, a Radio Shack AC adapter, some loud buzzers... and a little bit of elbow grease. The system works by essentially "scaring" the special-diet-dog away from the food by the use of a loud buzzing sound, which isn't subtle, but certainly effective. Check the video after the break to see the system in action.

[Via Make]

[J @ Sep 5th 2007 12:16PM]

Extremely clever and very simple.

[TeckniX @ Sep 5th 2007 12:18PM]

Very neat idea - I've been thinking about something similar, but with a trap door, allowing only the pet with the rfid to get in.

[FishGuy @ Sep 5th 2007 12:17PM]

Yes this is nice and all, but what i really want to know is where the heck my live Apple event feed is?!?!?

[FishGuy @ Sep 5th 2007 12:18PM]

ahhhh, there it is

[Jim @ Sep 5th 2007 12:23PM]

I do the same thing but I use an off the shelf indoor fence system to induce shocks to the cat if she get's near the dog's food bowl and shocks to the dog if she gets near the cat food bowl. You can pick between an A, B or AB freqs. Just pick up enough radios to cover the area you want them to be out of.

[Camperton @ Sep 5th 2007 12:33PM]

I prefer the fallibility and over-complexity of the 1985 Emmett Brown method. I suppose this is a good 2007 solution, but it's still got nothing on the 2015 Brown revision.

[mike @ Sep 5th 2007 12:38PM]

Too funny. I started looking for something similar and, after not being able to find a thing, ran across the same patent. It really sucks that someone could patent something so obvious and hold an entire market hostage. Based on my limited experience with patents this one looks pretty weak, but since most innovation in this space comes from small companies, who can afford to take the chance?

[ethana2 @ Sep 5th 2007 3:25PM]

Another fine example of patents pushing innovation into the future!

Patents need to go away. They are retarding progress in a very severe way, imo.

[Sean @ Sep 5th 2007 12:39PM]

Ivan Pavlov, FTW!

[Spanky @ Sep 5th 2007 12:54PM]

I bet the noise would stop bothering the dog after several attempts. A doggy door with rfid would work in this situation. Create a small area walled off with the only access being throught the doggy door. Only put the rfid actuator tag on the dogs that are allowed to get to the food. the one that is on a diet cant get in because door remains locked to it.

[Rob @ Sep 5th 2007 1:19PM]

I thought that white thing to the left was a urinal. Silly me.

[Jeff @ Sep 5th 2007 5:05PM]

Haha... I know of several dogs who would be scared to death of the dog bowl from then on.

[jimmyfinch @ Sep 5th 2007 9:29PM]

I need this at work to protect my red bulls.