Dog Treat Dispenser
Tony Fennel of the Merseyside panel wonders if anyone can help with the following:
We currently have a client whose needs at the moment seem insoluble and we would appreciate assistance from any panel which may have experienced a similar situation. The client is a young girl of 16 who is permanently confined to an electric wheelchair with only some restricted use of her right arm and hand which she uses to control her wheelchair She attends a local school and is due to take her GCSEs. At present whenever she is out she has to be accompanied by a carer or parent and her mother is trying to give her greater independence by the use of a trained dog. The training of the dog is based on treats being awarded every time a task is successfully completed and before the suppliers will release the dog they have to be convinced that the person working with the dog is capable of giving the dog a treat as it completes a task. We have not been able to source a suitable dispenser which could be modified to suit the clients condition and would therefore appreciate advice or guidance anyone can offer.
If you can help, please contact Tony on the following or leave a comment below.
Phone:0151 334 4689
email:anthony.fennell1@ntlworld.com.
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I have provided details to Tony Fennell of a cream cheese dispenser that has been built and used by a client in Birmingham. Purely mechanical, no batteries or fancy electronics. just a tube of cream cheese in a mounting and a lever to press.
We use Primula cream cheese as a high value treat when socialising puppies for a charity Dogs for the Disabled.
Have a look at http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-controled-dog-foodtreat-dispenser/ The rotating disk mechanism could be controlled by a touch pad near her joystick and the chair 24VDC supply used to power it. On each touch of the pad the machine could dispense either dry food as in the video or dog biscuits.