Anyone who lives with a cat knows how insistent the morning snack request can get. This build turns that daily moment into a small event: a slot machine that pays out in kibble. It clearly works as intended, since the cat turns up beside it every morning waiting for treats, and footage shows the animal stepping forward to eat what drops out.
The whole machine runs on an Arduino Uno, which ties the electronics and the mechanics together. GelyCraftѕ designed, modeled, programmed, printed, and tested every single part, and even laid out a custom PCB to connect the electronics. That mix of mechanical design, coding, wiring, and 3D printing handled by one person is genuinely impressive.
Several choices stand out to me. Three black rectangular motors drive the three white cylindrical reels, and a PCB strip of addressable LEDs sits just below them; the main WS2812B strip is the dense 144 LEDs per meter type, which seems like a smart pick for smooth animations. A side lever with a white ball handle operates the machine, a printed hopper guides treats into the dispensing mechanism, and four circular magnets in the chassis walls hold the upper lid in place. The back panel carries a DC barrel jack for power, a panel-mount USB-A port, and a rocker switch.
Pulling the lever sets the motorized reels spinning. A losing spin gets red illumination and a descending buzzer sound, while matching icons trigger rainbow animations and a cheerful tune with meow effects, followed by kibble dropping from the bottom opening.
The maker says getting all the different parts to work together was the real challenge, which seems fair given how many systems meet here. The enclosure wears cat ears on top, and the rear ventilation slots are styled to resemble whiskers. GelyCraftѕ sounds happy with the result, and honestly the outcome backs that up.
Project by GelyCraftѕ. Watch it on their YouTube channel: