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KittyMeowstika
6y

Hey guys and girls ^~^
I hope this question is ok as it's not entirely dev related.

I'm planning on building a custom cattracking device that i can attach to a cat harness. It obviously has to be very small and light. This is why i had the pi zero in mind.
I want to track my cat via Gps and send location via gsm (and use a trigger if he connects to my wifi to set off an alarm so i can let him in).
My experience with pi's is limited but i have some with arduinos.
Besides that i would need a case which keeps the pi save from dust, humidity and maybe rain but won't interfere too much with the gsm signal.
First: is this even possible?
If yes, what would you recommend?
Are there better ways to do this?

Thanks to all in advance

question

rasberry pi zero

cattracker

is this possible?

rasberry pi
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Comments
  • 4
    6y
    Based on what I know, there are a lot of ISO protection cases compatible for the RPI. I've worked on a connected hives system a'd we used these to protect the RPIs
  • 3
    6y
    Also store the cats location and map it. And I suggest trying to use Galileo instead of GPS, way more precise.
  • 9
    6y
    You will do a lot of work, and finally when you attach it, your cat will freak out. Remember that cat is boss and you are staff.
  • 9
    6y
    Power management would be my first concern here because of the permanently-on gps receiver + the mobile radio.
  • 2
    6y
    @Codex404 what's that? How can i use it?
  • 3
    6y
    @Fast-Nop thank god my boy is chill as fuck and used to wearing a harness. Currently he's wearing one with his id coin whenever he's outside. So no problem there ^~^
  • 3
    6y
    @karelian any idea how to solve this besides a power bank?
  • 3
    6y
    @KittyMeowstika Well, you can always relax the "real-time" requirements a bit and batch updates over the cell network so the 2g/3g modem ends up staying in low-power mode.

    But it's definitely doable - a quick search shows that not only it has been achieved, but there's already healthy competition in this space: https://thepawtracker.com/blogs/...
  • 5
    6y
    @karelian thanks for your suggestions, i'll look into that more. The pawtracker doesn't seem to be available in my country though. (Sadly most otherwise good devices are not available here hence why i'm trying to build my own)
    Also i can't attach it to a neckband as my harness doesn't have one. (It's a shoulder harness so my boy can't strangle himself)
  • 3
    6y
    @KittyMeowstika Found some more stuff that might prove relevant to your research: https://iot.stackexchange.com/quest...
  • 6
    6y
    @KittyMeowstika Has your cat consented to this breach of privacy?

    https://adafruit.com/product/746/
    https://adafruit.com/product/1946/
    https://adafruit.com/product/1578/

    Adafruit is on the expensive side, but they do offer great support and guides.

    I think the main challenge is assembling it into a small enough package.
  • 2
    6y
    @bittersweet as far as i can understand catspeach: yes. privacy doesn't matter much to him xD
  • 5
    6y
    @KittyMeowstika For weather resistance, there's nothing that can't be resolved with some hot glue. Just be sure everything works before, don't completely glue in components which get warm, and don't glue it to the cat.
  • 5
    6y
    I'd consider LoRa instead of GSM take a look at https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/ they are awesome!
  • 5
    6y
    If WiFi and location are the only things needed for this project, why not go with an esp8266 and a GPS/Galileo module?
  • 3
    6y
    @Condor because i never heard of those before. I'll look into that^~^
  • 0
    6y
    📌
  • 4
    6y
    Depending on the things network coverage in your area I might consider using that instead of GSM together with an esp8266 and a GPS module. This should lower power consumption drastically.
  • 4
    6y
    @OneJob plus you can always set up your own antenna...
  • 2
    6y
    Use an ESP8266 or something like that. Google "particle gsm board" for some alternatives
  • 3
    6y
    If you haven't seen it yet I highly suggest this talk: https://youtu.be/DMNSvHswljM

    It's half an hour of pure fun and the project it brings up is almost identical to the one you're talking about, so it might help you out.
  • 1
    6y
    ðŸĪŠ
    Look what I found on AliExpress
    http://s.aliexpress.com/JvaeEzM7
  • 3
    6y
    @heyheni but you'll miss all the fun that way 😂
  • 1
    6y
    @heyheni thanks but that would require a neckband which i'm not going to use. Too dangerous imho.

    I think i'll try a pre made system (tractive) first and leave this project for when i have more time.
  • 3
    6y
    @pily i know ðŸĪŠ

    @KittyMeowstika
    but what @wack said... LoRa is a nice technology to learn. Because of the endless possibilities that are possible with it.
    https://goo.gl/puqPzn
    LoRa - Wikipedia
  • 2
    6y
    great video about LoRa
    https://youtu.be/7n8t62anxIQ
  • 2
    6y
    Honestly? A particle photon might be a better choice for this.
  • 2
    6y
    Such devices already exist.

    This one is from my operator: https://vodafone.pt/v-by-vodafone.h...

    Pets, Kids, and Auto GSM tracker

    Also:

    https://thepawtracker.com/blogs/...

    Google "Pet Tracker", there are lots of sites, You could build... But will probably be more expensive. And you always need a collar to hock the tracker. Unless you prefer to glue it to the cat... Just an Idea...
  • 2
    6y
    @KittyMeowstika galileo is the european alternative to GPS and the open version is exact to the meter. Where GPS has 5 meter precision. The commercial variants are respectively 1cm and 1 meter.

    Galileo is more accurate, which may be nice for the cat
  • 0
    6y
    Thanks to all of you for your suggestions.
    @WhAtEvErYoUmEaN and I decided to give an already made product (tractive fyi) a try.
    But we will definitely keep all of this in mind and build our own just for fun. Especially the Galileo thing sounds very useful.
  • 1
    6y
    Isn't tracking someone's location without their written consent a grave violation of their privacy?
  • 4
    6y
    @sniped-sippet yes but it's a cat; they are the definition of privacy violation 😁
  • 2
    6y
    @sniped-sippet Just put a consent declaration on a tuna box and make the whole declaration a consent button. Then put another declaration on a vegetable box with a decline. So it's the cat's free and informed decision which one to tap.
  • 2
    6y
    @Alice sure but the OP's cat is alive.
  • 5
    6y
    @Fast-Nop my cat is crazy. He could choose the veggies especially if it's rice or potatoes. He's a former stray and lived from what he found in trashcans and got from hotel guests. (I feed him a proper diet nonetheless and no veggies of course). So that's not a safe option.
    I could use his favourite snack though. He would do everything for that 😂
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