Looking Outwards-xyz (Emily Smith)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Fat-Cat-Automated-Arduino-Pet-Feeder/

This project uses an arduino to make a gumball machine like cat feeder that measures the approximate amount of food the cat would need set on a timer. This project inspires me because it showed me an alternative way to build a fish feeder than I was thinking, and it looks like it would work much better. Critique the project: describe how could it have been more effective; discuss some of the other possibilities that it suggests, or opportunities it missed; explain what you think they got right, and how they got it right. The maker of this was inspired by their cats obesity. This enabled them to measure out controlled portions without them taking time out of their day.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Thermostat/

For this project the person made a thermostate using arduino and a temperature sensor to cut off a heater whenever a certain temperature was reached. This inspires me because it is relevant to another project I am doing in which I need to regulate the temperature of a green house, and with this I could avoid the purchase of a thermostat. This project could be better if it sent feedback of the temperature information to a computer and arranged it in a chart. The reason they did this was to see if they could because why not.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Weather-Station-AWS/

For this project the inventor made a small box that can measure and collect data on the weather. This is interesting to me because my green house project collects data on the environment and I wanted to compare the two. This project would have been better if they had given it some components that can change the conditions i.e. a heater of a mister, which would be more applicable to my green house. The reason they made this was because they wanted to be able to collect and arrange weather data either for personal pleasure or research purposes.