Hi!
Would a sound or motion sensor work better to capture a falling parakeet and trigger lights? I don’t think a pressure sensor would be good, they are not only very light, they also poop all night.
Here’s the situation: I have a couple rescue parakeets who get what’s called a “night-fright”, occurs infrequently, maybe every 8-12 weeks. Something spooks them, they’ll fall to the bottom of their sleeping cage with a very distinct THUD, then one or both will thrash around trying to find a safe place, hopelessly, because it is dark (top 1/3 of the cage is covered with a blanket for the night). The thrashing could potentially harm them. Nightlights are generally recommended for this by vets and the internet, but they aren’t working as well as I’d hoped.
I sleep lightly so the thud wakes me up and I can rush to turn on the lights. Sometimes I travel for work and the house-sitter might sleep through this. The faster I can turn on the lights, the safer they be.
Appreciate any recommendations for an appropriate sensor type! Thank you for reading :)
Okay, thanks for the feedback. Calibration might be tough, I suppose I could measure poop but that then builds up over night (albeit very very light). I could simulate their fall by finding a ~30g weight I suppose.
I really thought the loud thud and thrashing would be enough to trigger a sound sensor, however, it seems sound sensors don’t really exist yet and we need to make them. Seems easy enough and a fun project.