An Automatic Internet of Things-Based System for Rabbit Cage

Abstract

Rabbits, low-maintenance mammals in terms of cost and space requirements, require meticulous care, encompassing disease control, feeding, and cage maintenance. To address these concerns, an automated system for feeding, drinking, temperature control, and monitoring rabbit manure gas levels within the cage was developed, all remotely accessible. The system comprises ultrasonic sensors, DHT11 sensors, MQ-135 gas sensors, a real-time clock (RTC), an Arduino Mega 2560 with built-in Wi-Fi, relays, servo motors, mini water pumps, mini fans, and a heat lamp. The feeding and drinking functions are automated, triggered by RTC sensor data or can be manually controlled through the Arduino IoT Cloud dashboard. Temperature regulation is managed based on data from the DHT11 sensor, and gas levels in the rabbit manure are monitored using the MQ-135 gas sensor. Conducting 30 tests for each primary function, including automatic and manual feeding/drinking, temperature control, and disinfectant spraying, these functions performed as designed. An exception occurred three times when the DHT11 microcontroller sensors lost connection, rendering the input from these sensors unusable. To address this issue, the addition of an extra voltage supply to the Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller is proposed, mitigating this vulnerability.