You probably already heard about crows being very intelligent birds. Magpies, which are closely related to crows are just as smart. They are attracted to shiny objects and like to steal them for themselves. Knowing this, Hans Forsberg, an amazing robotics expert came up with the idea of an automated bird feeder that would only trigger when a bird “pays it off” with a bottle cap. To get fed, the crows and magpies would have to insert a bottle cap in a designated hole. Basically, the whole contraption is a vending machine for crows!

The idea of building this vending machine came when Hans noticed a couple of magpies setting up camp in his backyard. He noticed his new aviary neighbors trying to lockpick his outdoor lamps to steal the shiny candles inside. That is when he got his brilliant idea. Since the magpies are already smart enough to pick the locks, how about putting that intelligence to work creatively? And so he decided to train his new neighbors into bringing home bottle caps in exchange for some quality food dispensed by an automated machine.

 

Man Builds An Automated Bird Feeder That Gets Paid With Metal Objects, And Neighboring Magpies Learn How To Trade In Metal Scrap In Exchange For Food

 

He designed the mechanism, made the software, and then put it all together using 3D printing all by himself. It wasn’t an easy endeavor, although at first glance it might sound like a casual DIY project. There was quite a bit of programming, assembly, design, and maths going into his prototype. To get to the point where it is today, the whole process took several years. But looking at the result, we think it was worth it!

The main unit for his vending automaton is a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. This controls the input and output of the sensors and actuator of the device, as well as the whole electronics and mechanics of the food dispensing unit. The sensor and actuator interface with the device comes from a unit called Arduino Uno. The code that he wrote detects the bottle caps using a metal detector. A simple GUI that he made for the raspberry makes it possible for the device to detect vibrations, and open a small feeding mechanism when all conditions are met. A wide-angle camera is also set to record the experiment.

Check Out How The Automated Feeder Works In The Video Below

 

The footage shows the amazing success of the device. When a magpie drops a bottle cap into the slot, the machine feeds them some delicious bird food, encouraging this behavior and making it a habit. The birds kept bringing different objects to the device, but since only metal ones work, they got trained to bring only recyclable shiny metal parts in exchange for the food.

The experiment was a total success and an amazing personal project, which Forsberg posted on Hackster, where he also made public all the components he used and the whole process involved in his work. For those who want to replicate or study the device, he made available blueprints and details about all the mechanical parts and 3D printable components of his automated bird food dispenser. What an awesome project!

 

Here Is What People Had To Say About This Awesome Project And Extremely Interesting Invention

 

 

 

 

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