Arduino-Based Automated Birdcage with Integrated Mass and Thermal Control

Abstract

Manual bird care is highly vulnerable to neglect, particularly during prolonged owner absence, while fluctuating ambient temperatures can severely compromise avian health and well-being. This study designs, implements, and evaluates a standalone, Arduino-based automated birdcage system that integrates mass-based feed dispensing, water refilling, thermal management, and comprehensive fault detection without relying on continuous internet connectivity. The system utilizes two independent load cells with HX711 modules to measure feed and water mass directly, driving a servo motor and a DC water pump, respectively. An n-point moving-average filter mitigates mechanical vibration and bird-movement noise. Ambient temperature and humidity are monitored using a DHT22 sensor controlling an incandescent heating lamp, regulated via a hysteresis control algorithm to eliminate rapid actuator chattering near switching thresholds. User interaction and monitoring are supported through a 16x2 LCD screen, input buttons, and a buzzer notification system. Experimental evaluations under controlled laboratory conditions demonstrated high precision, with the automatic feed dispensing system achieving an average accuracy of 99.38% (0.62% relative error) and the water refilling subsystem reaching 99.78% accuracy (0.22% relative error). The heating control subsystem successfully maintained actuator states within the targeted 28.0–30.0°C hysteresis band. Additionally, fault-detection mechanisms properly halted actuators and triggered visual-auditory alerts during simulated sensor anomalies and zero-mass-gain events. These results confirm the functional feasibility and robustness of the standalone automated birdcage, providing a reliable engineering baseline for maintaining optimal avian environmental conditions and basic dietary needs during owner absence.