Dog treat dispenser for wheelchair user and helper dog
The client approached REMAP with a need to be able to give a treat to their helper dog each time the dog obeyed an instruction. The client is a wheelchair user and has limited use of their hands, so therefore was unable to manually give the treat to their dog. It was realised that some form of motorised dispenser was needed. Fortunately the client has a helper who would be able to load a dispenser magazine. A search of this site revealed a purely mechanical design which inspired the design of the carousel rotor used in this electromechanical design. Treats are dispensed one at a time at the press of a head operated press button. The carousel can be loaded with 7 treats.
The Challenge
The client needed to be able to dispense dog treats one at a time without using their hands. No known commercial solutions exist which exactly matched the client’s needs.
The solution
The solution is described in detail in the attached design file report. In brief the dog treats are loaded into a carousel with 8 round compartments each able to take 1 treat. One of the magazine compartments aligns with a chute which ejects the treat under gravity, the dispenser can therefore only be loaded with 7 treats. The client was happy with this number, the dog wasn’t asked. At the press of a large push button switch mounted on the wheelchair head rest, the carousel advances by 1 treat compartment and the treat in the compartment falls down the chute for the dog to eat.
The mechanism comprises the dispenser, a control & battery box, a head operated push button. Mounting to a motorised wheelchair is never entirely easy but fortunately a space was found underneath the hand rest which was relatively protected against knocks and bumps. A bracket was mounted on an existing channel in the wheelchair frame. The bracket was fitted with a ball which fitted into a commercial large phone/tablet holder. The control box was fitted to the wheelchair side using strong Velcro. The head switch fitted easily to the head rest as it featured an elastic strap and Velcro pad.
The benefit
Before having this device the client was entirely unable to reward their helper dog, apart from verbally, for carrying out the correct actions. This gives the client autonomy and hopefully will significantly enhance their bond with the dog. The client was extremely grateful and excited to have this enhanced capability of reward. It seemed fairly clear that this excitement was shared by the dog too.
A short video of the dispenser in operation can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gFKV8zc-7DGVlVH_Xvaa8_dlk26pa2aE/view?usp=drive_link
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