Hamster Wheel Strava Hack
Executive Summary:
- A physicist has rigged his pet hamster’s wheel to upload to Strava.
- The project uses an ESP32 attached to a hall sensor to track the hamster’s activity.
- The data is then uploaded to Strava through the Strava API.
The Internet’s Verdict: 70% Hyped, 30% Skeptical
The Project Details
A physicist has created a system to track his hamster’s exercise routine using an ESP32 and a hall sensor. The sensor is triggered by a magnet attached to the back of the wheel, tracking each rotation and storing the data on the network.
Forum Voices
Users online have been reacting to the project, with some sharing their own experiences with similar projects.
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.
Mollie the Hamster, on Strava: The main parts are an ESP32 attached to a hall sensor, which I positioned close to the wheel. Using a magnet attached to the wheel, this tells the ESP32 when a full rotation has completed.
Implications and Reactions
Some users have pointed out the potential for a business or product line based on this idea, such as hamster habitats with integrated cameras.
Others have noted the impressive distances that hamsters can cover on their exercise wheels, with one user mentioning that mice will often run 10k a day or more in neuroscience studies.
Focus Keyword: Hamster Strava
