Author Topic: Robot Fish Tank Management?  (Read 4410 times)

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Offline servproTopic starter

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Robot Fish Tank Management?
« on: July 22, 2009, 09:01:08 AM »
Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any plans or direction to build a remote fish tank control over the internet.

Functions:
- Feed fish
- Watch fish (over video, webcam)
- Check temperature
- Check PH
- Check water level (If below point, Add water)
- Add chemicals
- Turn on/off tank lights

This would all be controlled over the internet, I have lots of normal computer parts and old laptops also that I can use for parts.

thats it for now. I have the idea but not sure of where to start for construction. If anyone has any related functions or robots that do similar things that I can adapt from would really help.

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Offline Joker94

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2009, 07:32:00 PM »
do you want to buy all the parts or do you want to build it from scratch or half and half. If i know this i can recomend some different types of systems that you can use ;D

Offline servproTopic starter

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2009, 07:34:29 PM »
Maybe half and half. If a part is really expensive and I can build it for a fraction of the price I will build it. (If its not to hard though :)

Thanks

Offline Joker94

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2009, 08:26:30 PM »
Now, i have come up with some ideas.

For the over all control i think you will need something like an axon, but i don't know if that will work. Something along those lines, a mother board.

To feed the fish you can use a revolving chamber (presentation 1). Peice 1 sits in side themain body. between every gap sits the food for a meal. If you click on the feed button the servo will move around 1 space dumping in the meals food.

To watch the fish you can either write some code and attach a usb port to the mother board to accept a web cam or you can get a black fin or eqivelant for easy use, but they cost lots so i would spend the extra time on the Web cam idea.

To measure the temperature all you need to do is get an old fashion mercury thermometer and place it in the feild of view so you can see it when you watch the fish or else you can get a digital thermometer and plug it into the mother board.

For the pH i guess you might need a digital meter that you can plug into the mother board.

To add chemicals you might be able to make a mechenism like the food supplier toadd the needed chemicals.

And if you want to you may be able to make an external unit for adding food and chemicals.

To turn in the tank lights all you wald have to do is add a digital switch to your board and the lines of the power source. The only problem may be the voltage if you want the power straight from the wall. You can always get a timer from the hardware store that will turn on and off the same time day and night.

If you want to operate it throught the internet though it is gonna need its own software and is gonna take a tone of programming if you do it your self. You might be able to find a commercial program that yiu can get of the shelf.

I will do some further research ;)

Good Luck ;D

Offline servproTopic starter

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2009, 08:43:37 PM »
Thanks for reply. I think I might build it atop of a motherboard (mini PC) that way I can get the most out of the parts I have already. I did find a digital PH reader that can plugin to my serial port (they also have a USB version)

For Temp: http://martybugs.net/electronics/tempsensor/ (Its cheap, I did see one put together for $14 that plugs into USB)

Here is the PH/Temp/Sound sensor: http://www.drdaq.com/products.html

For the chemicals and food I think I am going to do your idea. For the chemicals, I can just do pre-filled tubes and when I activate it the servo will dump the tube over into the fish tank.

Now, I just need to choose how to tie it all together. Any ideas on what platform to use? Or do you know anyone that would be able to write the code for me?


Offline SmAsH

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2009, 09:42:59 PM »
for the lights, a simple digital pin+transistor+relay will suffice if controlling from the outlet... if from a smaller dc source, a transistor will do.
for the viewing, what do you want to view the camera on?
Quote
To watch the fish you can either write some code and attach a usb port to the mother board to accept a web cam or you can get a black fin or equivalent for easy use, but they cost lots so i would spend the extra time on the Web cam idea.
i do not see a point of using the blackfin unless you want the controller to act on what it sees...
if it plugs into the board... the board would have to do the processing... which it couldn't.
if you just want to view it... you could set up a small webcam on msn or something similar... or just get a wireless camera with a big ass antenna...
Howdy

Offline Joker94

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2009, 12:20:01 AM »
have yu thought about a budget yet, that can play a big part in what technologys you use ;D

Offline servproTopic starter

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2009, 08:34:01 AM »
Kinda, I dont want to spend a lot. Maybe a few hundred dollars. If I dump the PH sensor that saves me about $100. I might just do the cheap easy stuff for now and add the expensive sensors later. If I do the basics I want to keep it under $100 which I think I can do. The only problem would be the program/software.

Offline Admin

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2009, 01:57:58 PM »
Someone had asked this question about a year or so ago . . . search around and you'll find lots of good info.

(also, you can buy one, several companies sell these already)

Offline RoboChan

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2009, 08:03:04 PM »
What kind of tank ya got? I had a 46 gallon reef. You could buy and auto fish feeder and they also make auto chemical adders. You could get digatal sensors and just use cheap webcams to monator them from a websight you would make.

Offline MangoBot

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #11 on: July 26, 2009, 05:29:32 PM »
you could use a timer for lights, and maybe a color sensor for the chemicals, you know it would read the ph scale thing and if it was the right color it would do anything

Offline Soeren

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2009, 06:06:24 AM »
Hi,

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any plans or direction to build a remote fish tank control over the internet.

Functions:
- Feed fish
- Watch fish (over video, webcam)
- Check temperature
- Check PH
- Check water level (If below point, Add water)
- Add chemicals
- Turn on/off tank lights

This would all be controlled over the internet, I have lots of normal computer parts and old laptops also that I can use for parts.

thats it for now. I have the idea but not sure of where to start for construction. If anyone has any related functions or robots that do similar things that I can adapt from would really help.

To me, it sounds like you should just get you a screen saver of an aquarium ;D
Or in other words... WHY.
Regards,
Søren

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Offline wil.hamilton

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #13 on: July 28, 2009, 07:12:24 PM »
To me, it sounds like you should just get you a screen saver of an aquarium ;D
Or in other words... WHY.

I would say he obviously wants to be able to make sure his fish are ok if he is away from the tank for an extended period of time (say he goes on vacation for a week).
use the google.  it's your friend.

Offline blackbeard

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Re: Robot Fish Tank Management?
« Reply #14 on: August 12, 2009, 08:08:44 AM »
hey what if you rigged a water level system the same way as a toilet tank. have a floater on the end of a lever that activates a switch when the float is low although you may want to have it a bit smaller.
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