Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A physicist rigged his pet hamster’s wheel to upload to Strava

runnersworld.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 104 posts

Re: A physicist rigged his pet hamster’s wheel to upload to Strava

#81

Post by rgoulter »

anal_reactor wrote: post #77
elzbardico wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most sports have a habituation threshold you need to overcome so it becomes an enjoyable habit. Running is probably one the steepest imho.

Gym is the steepest. Three years in and I still hate it.

Each to their own, but I think free weights is the easiest activity where you get to feel tangible progress from doing it.

You move weight around, later you move the same around a bit more (yay!), or move a heavier weigh around (yay!).

You get to really know what your body is capable of.

Re: A physicist rigged his pet hamster’s wheel to upload to Strava

#82

Post by foco_tubi »

embedding-shape wrote: post #60
speedgoose wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the running context, a 10K means 10 kilometres.

That's awfully European of you, what if the mice are from the US?

“I ran a 3.1mi this morning and I feel awful!”

No, distance events are still referred in kilometers in the US.

Re: A physicist rigged his pet hamster’s wheel to upload to Strava

#83

Post by tanseydavid »

Insanity wrote: post #76
asdfman123 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most often at 5 am, for whatever reason. It gives him time to run, shower, and drive to work

You forgot the mandatory meditation session!

And check the @#$% calendar in MS Teams or Outlook.

Re: A physicist rigged his pet hamster’s wheel to upload to Strava

#85

Post by goodmythical »

jagged-chisel wrote: post #64
schaefer wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s amazing, nice work Dad. Do you also play the approach music when her power output reaches 1.21 Gigawatts?

Should probably scale it appropriately like the speed

1.21 hundredwatts?

Re: A physicist rigged his pet hamster’s wheel to upload to Strava

#86

Post by goodmythical »

embedding-shape wrote: post #60
speedgoose wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the running context, a 10K means 10 kilometres.

That's awfully European of you, what if the mice are from the US?

US runners also typically train for kilometer races at distances shorter than half marathon.

I've even seen a few 50Ks.

Re: A physicist rigged his pet hamster’s wheel to upload to Strava

#87

Post by Theodores »

SyzygyRhythm wrote: post #3

Neat! Not to toot my own horn too much, but I put together a similar project for my cat's exercise wheel. Hackaday featured it a while back: https://hackaday.com/2023/04/02/spy-on-your-cat-to-make-sure... His exercise routine is somewhat variable but he usually goes for a short jog a few dozen times a day. Most often at 5 am, for whatever reason. Since the article I also built and hooked up a treat dispenser for extr…

To complement the treat rewards, can you get the cat wheel to power a small pump to provide a water fountain for the cat?

Assuming the treats are dispensed after a variable amount of distance is travelled on the cat wheel (to turn your cat into a 'gambler' of sorts, thereby keeping your cat on the wheel in the hope of a treat), a water fountain with 'fresh' water should enable your cat to avoid dehydration (due to the excessive exercise, chasing treats).

Harvested energy could also power a fan for the wheel and/or a heat pad in your cat's bed.

With these improvements, those short jogs will inevitably become marathon runs.

Re: A physicist rigged his pet hamster’s wheel to upload to Strava

#88

Post by kQq9oHeAz6wLLS »

berkes wrote: post #37
otherme123 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most often at 5 am, for whatever reason. Cats are crepuscular animals. They are "programed" do start at 5 AM, hunt, and go back to sleep until afternoon. Living in homes tweaked them a little, but the 5 AM thing is still strong in a lot of them (mine included). https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/resource/cat-keeping-you...

> crepuscular So not specifically at 5AM, but around twilight. In my area, and for my cats, that changes a lot between summer and winter. Same for my chickens, which is why "automatic chicken doors" are difficult/impossible around here: It'd need to calculate sunset and sundown, and then also consider clouds and trees: in winter the sun sets around 16:30, but the low angle makes sunlight more blocked by clouds, parti…

Automated chicken door isn't too difficult; remember the goal is to allow them to come in or out, not to make them do so or wake them up, though they do get conditioned to the door opening.

I made mine to open at actual sunrise (except in the summer; I keep them in until 7am because the coop is cooler, and if let out they can get loud before my neighbors wake up) and close it at actual sunset (not civil twilight, which most people think of when you say "sunset"). Generally the door is open well after the birds are in bed, which is fine.

Aside from some dumb birds when they were younger, I've never had one locked out (and those dumb ones were trying to nest in silly places, and weren't going you come in no matter when I closed the door).

Re: A physicist rigged his pet hamster’s wheel to upload to Strava

#90

Post by chorizo »

lefra wrote: post #52
berkes wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> crepuscular So not specifically at 5AM, but around twilight. In my area, and for my cats, that changes a lot between summer and winter. Same for my chickens, which is why "automatic chicken doors" are difficult/impossible around here: It'd need to calculate sunset and sundown, and then also consider clouds and trees: in winter the sun sets around 16:30, but the low angle makes sunlight more blocked by clouds, parti…

Sounds like something that could be solved by an ambient light sensor.

Light dependent resistor, opamp and relay. No digital components required.
Post reply on HN