This is how I developed the Pet Piano, a feeder that teaches your pet to make music by dispensing treats. I’ve been making special effects animal videos for over a decade now on my YouTube channel, but this was my first attempt at creating something that functions in the real world. I love my cat Michael, and I know from years of making animal videos, that there are a lot of you out there who feel the same way about your pets.
INSPIRATION
The concept of the Pet Piano struck me a few years back. We did a live stream with our cats where fans could interact with them through the automated laser pointers and treat dispenser. Whenever the lights went off the cats knew it was time to be fed and they would walk over to their mini fridge because they knew the treats were coming. This made me wonder if we could use the same mechanism to automate the process of teaching Michael to play the piano.
The notion was simple, yet effective - a piano for pets that dispenses treats when played. The charm lay in its simplicity, yet the real challenge was giving it a tangible form.
THE PROBLEM
While the seed for this idea was planted years ago, it wasn't until recently that I began to seriously consider its potential. A video of a cat ringing a bell for food caught my attention. I imagined there were pet owners would love for their pets to perform tricks. However, the time and energy required for training often serve as deterrents. This led me to think - what if technology could step in to automate this process and make it effortless for both pets and their owners? After some digging around here are the problems I wanted the piano to solve:
- Mental Stimulation: It should provide consistent mental stimulation for pets, a necessity often unmet due to pet owners’ lack of time and energy.
- Entertainment Training: It should facilitates entertaining trick training for pets without requiring extensive time or effort from the caretaker.
- Controlled Feeding: It should addresses the issue of pets eating too quickly or overeating by regulating food intake.
- Reducing Food Waste: It should prevents stale, uneaten food waste by dispensing fresh portions.
- Aesthetic Integration: Unlike typical plastic pet devices, the Pet Piano's wooden construction and piano design integrate seamlessly into home décor.
PROTOTYPING
Prototyping was where the fun began. The idea was to create a functional yet aesthetically pleasing piano for pets.
With the help of a few youtube videos and a trip to Target, I was able to piece together a prototype with an Arduino, Toy Piano, and rotor I cut off my old pet feeder.
I used to Chat GPT to help write some code that would trigger a servo to spin after it noticed a change in sound near the piano.
EXTERNAL SUPPORT
When I saw that the piano was actually working to teach Michael, I knew we were on to something. I reached out to my buddy Sebastian who had already made his own traditional pet feeder to help take the prototype to the next level. He was able to design the internal and electrical components. He’s actually detailed the whole process if you want to try making one on your own.
NEXT STEP
We’ve made 12 prototypes that we’re testing in different homes and shelters. We’re going to continue to test the piano and make improvements.
