Feeder Robot

This mobile feeder system is designed for delivering liquid food rewards to a rat running on a circular track. The feeder moves in sync with the rat, maintaining a consistent distance and minimizing odor and visual cues. The system includes a two-wheeled, stepper motor-driven cart with a feeder dish that extends for reward delivery. It operates wirelessly, using an Arduino Due microcontroller for control and XBee-PRO RF modules for communication. The feeder also features real-time tracking using overhead cameras and an onboard Pixy sensor, with rewards dispensed through a hydraulic solenoid valve. Additionally, the feeder cart is equipped with a cleaning mechanism that removes waste from the track using a rotating flap and ethanol dispenser. For additional details, see the published methods manuscript, which features this device: Lester, A. W., Kapellusch, A. J. & Barnes, C. A. A novel apparatus for assessing visual cue-based navigation in rodents. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 338, 108667 (2020).