The CATaLOG project aims to track the author’s two cats as they go in and out of the house so he can see which cat spends more time outside, what their favorite time to go out is, and also get sent SMS messages if a cat goes missing for a certain amount of time.
The current cat status and statistics are viewable at http://catalog.nermal.net. You can also follow the cats on Twitter.
The system is designed around the Arduino Microcontroller linked to a low cost RS232 RFID reader and uses theArduino Ethernet Shield and a Linksys WAP11 router acting as a wireless network bridge to send the data over the internet.
The tags used are standard 125Khz RFID keyfobs attached to the cat’s collar; the RFID reader coil is stuck to the bottom of the cat flap tunnel.
Project Pages
Testing the RFID Reader
Programming the Arduino
Getting it online and talking to Twitter
Adding an LCD
Ignite Cardiff Talk
Testing the whole system
Adding an external antenna
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