Smart Food Dispenser for Dogs, Cats, Birds and other pets, with integrated Weight Scale and WiFi for full smart home automation

This is the result of many iterations and months of testing and improvement. I hope you have as much fun building and using it as I have! 🚀

Introduction
Our automated animal feeder uses an electric motor and an auger screw to convey food from the storage pipe into a feeding bowl.
A weight sensor measures the weight of the remaining food in storage and, thereby, enables you to provide exactly the amount of food you wish to feed. The implemented logic automatically detects an empty storage and a blockage in the conveyor mechanism.
The storage is made up of a common 10.5cm PVC pipe. Mine is about 140cm long and lasts me over two weeks.
The integrated micro controller is connected via WiFi and offers online control and scheduling automation. I would recommend to integrate the device with Home Assistant, but you are free to control the device in any way you prefer.
A case-installed button can be used for manual control and an LED will inform you about the connectivity and feeding status.

See the device in action, producing exactly 450 gram of bird seeds:
https://youtube.com/shorts/p4AvSsHRoxU

What you get:
The project includes all 3D printing files, as well as the source code needed to build your own fully connected automatic food dispenser.

1. All 3D printing files in STL format
2. Ready-to-use firmware (file and source code) for the integrated WiFi enabled controller (ESP32)
3. A complete configuration for the smart home system Home Assistant, if you choose to use it.

What you need:
In addition, you have to buy some parts from your trusted local or oversees seller. These total to about 30€:

• An ESP32 micro controller in small form factor. The project was developed with the excellent M5Stamp C3U but you may choose another ESP32 of equal or smaller dimensions, e.g. M5StampS3 or ESP32-C3 SuperMini.
• A continuous rotation servo motor, e.g. Turnigy TGY-SM-4309R
• HX711 load cell for 10 to 20kg, e.g. from oversees here
• Push button of 14mm diameter
• A standard PVC gutter downpipe (e.g. 120cm long) from the hardware store
• Screws, glue, tape, solder iron, and a pet that likes dry food

Support:
If you decide to buy my design, I will help you with questions and listen to improvement ideas. You will benefit from future additions and modifications.

All parts can be printed on a standard FDM printer with normal print settings.

You only need to print the main body, the electronics body, the auger screw, and the funnel for initial testing of your setup and the firmware controls.

The pipe cap and pipe insert are optional. The insert reduced the weight strain on your auger screw, when working with a long pipe.