If you’ve ever been plagued by the sound of your barking dog, or woken early in the morning to let the pup out in the yard, you could use a Raspberry Pi bark-activated door, just like the one this man created for his home.
After constantly having to let his dog in and out of the house, photographer David Hunt stepped out of his comfort zone to play around with his Raspberry Pi computer looking for a solution. He came up with the “Pi-Rex,” the bark-activated door opener.
Hunt created a system that would open the door for his dog. (Image via David Hunt)
How he did it
Hunt attached a noise detector circuit to his Raspberry Pi that would identify the dog’s bark. Then he used a motor driver circuit to drive an actuator that would unlock his door. He also incorporated a weight/pulley system that would swing the door open for his dog once it was unlocked.
Of course these are just a few of the tools Hunt employed, but if you feel like you’re up for the challenge, visit Hunt’s project page, where he lists his materials, codes, and step-by-step wiring instructions so you can make one yourself.
The final contraption Hunt created with his Raspberry Pi. (Image via David Hunt)
Sure there are some security issues that need to be worked out if you wanted to implement this into your home, but that can all be figured out later, in the meantime, enjoy this weekend project, and maybe some extra sleep if you don’t have to get up to let the dog back in the house.
Check out Hunt’s demo video to watch the Raspberry Pi door opener in action:
Visit David Hunt’s website for the full list of instructions.
If you like to play with your Raspberry Pi, check out these other Raspberry Pi projects:
Raspberry Pi home automation
Capture images of earth from space with Raspberry Pi camera
Advertisement
Learn more about Electronic Products Magazine
