5 ms·

This seems like a classic case of over-engineering the wrong problem. The problem isn't that the cat is getting into the machine, the problem is that the human

This seems like a classic case of over-engineering the wrong problem. The problem isn't that the cat is getting into the machine, the problem is that the human is neglecting to feed the cat. Solve the right problem.

Yen 10y ago
A) the human feeds the cat, with delicious wet food, every morning. Many cats are only fed once daily anyway, this cat is fed twice daily. B) When traveling, one is not at home to feed the cat, at all. If fed, cats are quite content to have the house to themselves for a few days. If a cat is disciplined about eating, you can just put a lot of food in the bowl and leave it alone while you travel. If not, you need to build a machine to dispense food, or pay another human to come by and feed the cat. C) I often enjoy reading stories about the process of engineering (iterated problems, solutions, new problems, etc.), even if the final result is 'over' engineered.
- run4yourlives2 10y ago
  I have a cat. I know how it works. Part of having a pet is dealing with the fact that you have to take care of it. Many people have pets and go on vacations. >even if the final result is 'over' engineered. This is a major issue though. It's why a lot of engineers can't translate ideas and solutions into elegant businesses... Of course there is nothing wrong with this project, so long as you understand it completely misses solving the actual problem at hand.
  - marssaxman 10y ago
    "Can't" create an elegant business, or "don't care to"? Different people are motivated by different things. Seems to me the person undertaking this cat-feeder project is the one who gets to decide whether or not they have solved the "actual problem at hand", since they are the one who decided what the problem was in the first place.
jdcarter 10y ago
There was no neglect. Quinn bought a fancy feeder because nerds love stuff like that, right? Cat figured out how to defeat the feeder. By the time she's welding a steel enclosure for the feeder, the story has clearly moved from "solving a problem" to "I'm not going to be beaten by a cat."
- run4yourlives2 10y ago
  neglect as in "not doing" not neglect as in "not caring". I'm not suggesting he doesn't care for the cat, I'm suggesting he's solving a symptom instead of the core problem.
  - ianai 10y ago
    I agree with both you and jdcarter. Is this silly? Sure, but isn't that also a huge part of the fun in having cats in our lives? Everything else must make sense, but not cats. As for "solving the wrong problem" - I'm sure OP isn't the first machine shop welder to turn every problem into a reason to weld.
  - jdcarter 10y ago
    There's no evidence that Quinn wasn't feeding her cat well, before or after getting the robo-feeder. Many domestic animals will search out food when bored, even if they're not hungry. In this case, I think for both Quinn and Sprocket (the cat) it was all about the puzzle, and the food was just incidental. Edit to add: despite my disagreement, I appreciate your concern for the cat. My dad's a veterinarian and my mom rescues feral cats, so I've seen a lot of malnourished and mistreated cats. It's heartbreaking how some people neglect the animals in their care. In this particular case, however, Sprocket looks very healthy.

Yen 10y ago

A) the human feeds the cat, with delicious wet food, every morning. Many cats are only fed once daily anyway, this cat is fed twice daily. B) When traveling, one is not at home to feed the cat, at all. If fed, cats are quite content to have the house to themselves for a few days. If a cat is disciplined about eating, you can just put a lot of food in the bowl and leave it alone while you travel. If not, you need to build a machine to dispense food, or pay another human to come by and feed the cat. C) I often enjoy reading stories about the process of engineering (iterated problems, solutions, new problems, etc.), even if the final result is 'over' engineered.

run4yourlives2 10y ago
I have a cat. I know how it works. Part of having a pet is dealing with the fact that you have to take care of it. Many people have pets and go on vacations. >even if the final result is 'over' engineered. This is a major issue though. It's why a lot of engineers can't translate ideas and solutions into elegant businesses... Of course there is nothing wrong with this project, so long as you understand it completely misses solving the actual problem at hand.
- marssaxman 10y ago
  "Can't" create an elegant business, or "don't care to"? Different people are motivated by different things. Seems to me the person undertaking this cat-feeder project is the one who gets to decide whether or not they have solved the "actual problem at hand", since they are the one who decided what the problem was in the first place.

jdcarter 10y ago

There was no neglect. Quinn bought a fancy feeder because nerds love stuff like that, right? Cat figured out how to defeat the feeder. By the time she's welding a steel enclosure for the feeder, the story has clearly moved from "solving a problem" to "I'm not going to be beaten by a cat."

run4yourlives2 10y ago
neglect as in "not doing" not neglect as in "not caring". I'm not suggesting he doesn't care for the cat, I'm suggesting he's solving a symptom instead of the core problem.
- ianai 10y ago
  I agree with both you and jdcarter. Is this silly? Sure, but isn't that also a huge part of the fun in having cats in our lives? Everything else must make sense, but not cats. As for "solving the wrong problem" - I'm sure OP isn't the first machine shop welder to turn every problem into a reason to weld.
- jdcarter 10y ago
  There's no evidence that Quinn wasn't feeding her cat well, before or after getting the robo-feeder. Many domestic animals will search out food when bored, even if they're not hungry. In this case, I think for both Quinn and Sprocket (the cat) it was all about the puzzle, and the food was just incidental. Edit to add: despite my disagreement, I appreciate your concern for the cat. My dad's a veterinarian and my mom rescues feral cats, so I've seen a lot of malnourished and mistreated cats. It's heartbreaking how some people neglect the animals in their care. In this particular case, however, Sprocket looks very healthy.