Citation

Pal, Sauryadeep and Veloo, Samrrithaa G. and M. Ashri, Nur Aqilah and Lo, Yew Chiong (2022) IoT Based Smart Fish Feeder. Other. Faculty of Engineering, Multimedia University. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Keeping pet fish is a hobby that is steadily gaining popularity. Fish are generally low maintenance pets and do not need much looking after other that being fed regularly and having their tank cleaned on occasion. However, feeding fish can be a mundane task and some owners may forget to feed their pet fish or run out of fish food at the most unfortunate times. Fish food also tends to decompose and cause excessive algal growth in the tank water. Hence uneaten food must be filtered from the tank. Feeding fish is essentially a series of relatively simple tasks that must be done repeatedly and preferably without the direct participation of the fish owner, which makes it an ideal candidate for automation via IoT. This project aimed to do just that. Using NodeMCU Esp32 microcontrollers, Firebase as an IoT server, and finally a mobile app to track and control these two, an IoT system was constructed to automate fish feeding. This system keeps track of variables commonly associated with fish feeding and health. It measures the tank water temperature with a temperature sensor, the amount of fish food left with an ultrasonic sensor, and the ambient light levels with a photoresistor (LDR). These sensors were connected to a NodeMCU Esp32 microcontroller that continuously updates the values read by the sensors into the IoT server. The system was able to automate the actual feeding process by not only dispensing food, but also filtering the uneaten food right after. This is achieved via some servo actuators and custom 3D-printed parts for storing food and collecting the uneaten food. A light strip was used to increase the ambient light level either manually, or automatically based on the current ambient light level reading from the sensor. All of the above actuators were connected to another Esp32 that constantly checked the IoT server for commands to activate or deactivate any of the actuators. Finally, the app allowed the owner to view the status of his aquarium by reading the data from the sensors and also let them take manual control of the feeding process and lighting by sending command to the actuators. All communication between the app, sensors, and actuators was done via the Firebase real-time IoT server. The app also had a scheduling feature where the owner could set up feeding schedules. The system would then dispense food automatically according to the time interval and food amount specified by the active schedule. This is ideal for users who have to leave their fish unattended for prolonged periods of time, such as when going on a vacation, as they do not need to provide manual oversight to the system for regular feeding. The system was quite successful in its intended purpose of automating fish feeding. The sensors, actuators, and the app can communicate successfully and through the app, the user can view the status of the aquarium in real time or perform a feeding action. We did face some challenges with regard to IoT server latency and disconnections, and we also identified several areas of improvement such as implementing an algorithm to dispense the optimal amount of fish food, including more relevant sensors such as dissolved oxygen and ammonia detector, and having a more precise feeding mechanism.

Item Type:	Monograph (Other)
Additional Information:	Periodic Research Publication (Faculty of Engineering, MMU)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	IoT, Automation, Smart Devices, Fish Feeder
Subjects:	T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering > TK5101-6720 Telecommunication. Including telegraphy, telephone, radio, radar, television
Divisions:	Faculty of Engineering (FOE)
Depositing User:	Ms Nurul Iqtiani Ahmad
Date Deposited:	15 Dec 2022 07:07
Last Modified:	15 Dec 2022 07:07
URII:	http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/id/eprint/10818

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