Help with co-habitation using lasers

Electronics
#1

Hi Electronics! I am in a bit of a conundrum. My three best friends (Wife, Cat1, Cat2) co-habitat…but barely.

Would anyone be interested in helping with a project? When we are done, it could be turned into a class to earn honorariums for the committee. I’m fairly handy, can do some basic coding, and own a couple of arduinos. I even understand some electronics basics.

For Christmas, I got my wife a few new pieces of furniture… My wife thinks furniture is for sitting, relaxing and aesthetic enjoyment. The cats believe new fabric is meant to be picked and clawed. I love each on both sides of this disagreement, but need help to ensure I can live happily with both sets of friends.

I want to put in something akin to laser trips wires. Something I can step over during the normal course of a day, and something I can activate when we won;t be using the room and are gone. When the laser or other similar item is tripped, I want it to spin up the vacuum cleaner. And if it gets stuck, automatically cut the power to the vacuum after 10 seconds.

Please give me your feedback. I’m ready to start on this project right away, and I’ll fund the parts and beverages needed to accomplish the goal.

Here are a couple of specs for the project:

  • Prefer to use lasers, or linew of sight functions so we can step over the tripwire in the course of a day.
  • It would be helpful to turn on/off the other lasers above floor level
  • Final product does not need to look professional, but able to be put into project boxes or similar.
  • I have mains power nearby. Does not need to run on batteries.

Picture1
Picture1.jpg844×1125 699 KB

4 Likes
Predictive Algorithms Instead of Reactive Solutions
#2

I’d think that using some sort of IR light source - ala garage door safety mechanism - would be both cheaper to implement and less obtrusive in use.

1 Like
#3

Electronics and I have already picked up some honorariums on a very good solution! More to come!

A convenient way to activate the system would be an app that you and your wife have on your phones. If you forget to activate the system when you leave, you can do it from anywhere you have cell service. You could also see how many times the alarm has been activated. My Blynk into the Internet of Things class even has a class exercise of using a Menu widget to choose power level.

https://calendar.dallasmakerspace.org/events/view/4436

I’ll be posting the next class within a couple of days but it seems like you are in crisis mode! PM me @bpamplin with a time we can meet and we should be able to save your marriage and even the cats.

Update: I think I can dig up laser xmit/receive modules but Harbor Freight may have a solution that does not require such precise alignment. It is easily hackable to trigger a microcontroller instead of the terrible alarm noise.

1 Like
#4

That’s funny. As soon as I posted, we walked out the garage and I had the same thought.

So let’s redefine - instead of “laser”, we can use any line of sight method as long as I can step over it.

2 Likes
#5
4 Likes
#6

@bpamplin Brady - that’a awesome. I will PM you, thanks for your help!

#7

@StanSimmons Stan - after 10 years, we have unfortunately exhausted all other means of deterrents…with CAT1, when you spray him with things, all you end up with a wet Cat that continues the same behavior. Loud, rotating motors are the only sure deterrent…

1 Like
#8

I take that back - double sided sticky tape worked phenomenally well for jumping on the counters in our old apartment, as well as was entertaining to watch! …until taking the tape off the counter took it’s finish with it :frowning:

2 Likes
#9

One wonders how long until CAT1’s loud, rotating motors tolerance is greater than its humans’ tolerance of same.

2 Likes
#10

@ESmith We’re typically not home whe the scratching is happening…let it roar. And if we are, they won’t do it more than once in a while. Only needs to spin up for a few seconds.

#11

Wouldn’t it be easier to get rid of the cats? Lol.

3 Likes
#12

You could keep the cats - after a trip to a taxidermist…

2 Likes
#13

I’ve had the cats longer than I’ve had my wife…so instead I will find a way to have world peace AND nice furniture.

1 Like
#14

I take it that you are siding with your wife and are needing to keep your partners-in-crime (the cats) from using the furniture as their personal grooming apparatuses? Now granted my solution is not as sexy as lasers, etc. but I think you will find it very effective (my experience comes from years of having pets with currently 3 cats), but well placed cat scratching posts like these, will take care of all furniture use.

1CC598F8-5C59-43AA-B570-DAECC073264A

4 Likes
#15

@Owen_Soccer22 we have many well placed scratching posts, rugs and other paraphernalia. They still want to sratch the new furniture. We need to keep them out of the room.

1 Like
#16

You got some determined cats there. Gotta do what you gotta do…

1 Like
#17

My 2.5 cats are/were feral, well they started off that way…
After reading your post, I count myself lucky that even though they have all their claws but are fixed, they don’t harm the furniture.
I did have the female that has opted to be an indoor only cat claw at my Persian(not oriental) carpet until getting her approval with a horizontal scratch pad that doubles as her perch . Once she tried it out it was perfect.

#18

Unfortunately, no matter what we have offered, they still want to go towards furniture. We have not had issue with leather, but ended up buying new cloth furniture because they tore up the original cloth furniture when we were not looking.

So really, it’s not a hard issue, just need to keep them out of a room that doesn’t have doors…and using a laser or IR trip line that spins up a vacuum for 3 seconds will be a discrete and practice solution that can blend into the room

Basically, I’ll hide the vacuum behind the chair near the opening…no one will see it, nor the wires, and all is good.

#19

Why not an IR motion sensor aimed at the couches?

#20

I’d think you want a switch or button or whatever with easy/near access to disable the system for when approved humans wanted to enter or use, also? Unless it was just a matter of switching the vacuum off, if that is the actual solution?

BTW, my guess – for what it is worth – is that over time they figure out vacuum doesn’t pose an actual threat and get used to the sound, especially if it turns off after only a few seconds. But then again, I don’t know your cats.

Maybe they are just pissy because you gave then such sterile, utilitarian names?