Transcript File - Otter Enrichment Project

OTTER ENRICHMENT
Aditya Yadavalli, Vamsi Varra, and Michael Mathison
Client: St. Louis Zoo
Section 2 | Group 21
Outline
1. Need/ Project Scope
2. Design Requirements
3. Design Alternatives
4. Analysis of Alternatives
5. Chosen Design Specifics
6. Update
Introduction | Alternatives | Analysis | Chosen Design
Need and Project Scope
• Oscar the Otter at the St. Louis Zoo resides in an exhibit
that lacks many characteristics that are typical of a natural
habitat
• Needs: Fully functional enrichment device enhancing
Oscar’s mental and physical health
Introduction | Alternatives | Analysis | Chosen Design
Specific Design Requirements
• Cost Maximum: $50
• Cannot be used to escape exhibit
• River Otters jump up to 6 feet
• Buoyant
• Electronic components must be waterproof
• Indestructible
• Bite Strength: 223.4N
• Wieldable
• River Otter paw dimensions: 9.05 cm X 7.62 cm
• Should not cause or encourage over-activity, stress,
obesity, or illnesses
• Contains sensors to gather data to quantify otter’s health
and enrichment levels
Introduction | Alternatives | Analysis | Chosen Design
Design Alternatives – Pugh Analysis
Weight
Puzzle Moving Tether WhackOtter Ball
Box
Maze
Ball a-mole
Wotter
Wheel
Cost
3
2
-2
-2
1
-2
0
Durability
Physical
Enrichment
Cognitive
Enrichment
Sensor
Integration
2
2
2
2
-2
0
2
1
-1
0
-1
0
2
2
2
-2
2
2
-2
1
-2
2
0
2
-2
1
1
2
Novelty
Production
Feasibility
1
-2
2
1
-2
1
2
2
1
-1
0
2
-2
-1
5
6
-1
-1
-3
6
12
T2
Net Score
Rank
5
T2
T8
T8
Introduction | Alternatives | Analysis | Chosen Design
Design Alternatives – Pugh Analysis
Stacking
Shell- Mechanical
Diving Puzzle
Weight
Boxes Cracker
Fish Basketball Hoop
Ball
Cost
3
2
-2
-2
2
2
2
Durability
Physical
Enrichment
Cognitive
Enrichment
Sensor
Integration
2
0
2
1
1
-2
2
1
0
1
2
2
1
0
2
-2
-1
2
-2
0
2
2
-1
1
2
-2
-2
0
Novelty
Production
Feasibility
1
-2
-1
2
-2
-2
2
2
2
-2
-1
2
1
0
4
-6
6
2
-1
16
11
13
T2
7
T8
1
Net Score
Rank
Introduction | Alternatives | Analysis | Chosen Design
Design Alternatives- Puzzle Box
• Tactile 4’x4’x4’ box - thermoplastic ABS (Durability)
• 4 Recesses of a variety of shapes with corresponding
blocks
• Otter places blocks in appropriate recess
• Incentivized by food reward as appropriated by caretaker
• Sensors: Force (Recess) and Accelerometer (In blocks)
• Cognitive enrichment quantification - Accelerometer
• Physical enrichment quantification- Force and Accelerometer
• Eliminated
• Difficult to 3D print such large objects
• Physical enrichment is minimal
• Prohibitive cost
Introduction | Alternatives | Analysis | Chosen Design
Design Alternatives- Wotter Wheel
• Wheel made of wooden planks connected by a central
axle- coated with high resistant vinyl to prevent slipping
• Otter runs around wheel to obtain food reward
• Sensors: Accelerometer (In central axle)
• Physical enrichment quantification- Accelerometer
• Eliminated
• Finishing of planks and application of vinyl
• Slightly outside budget
• No cognitive enrichment
• Unnatural movement
Introduction | Alternatives | Analysis | Chosen Design
Design Alternatives- Mechanical Fish
• Remote controlled mechanical fish with an anterior and
posterior motor
• Controlled by zookeeper to emulate a hunting scenario for
otter
• Sensors: GPS and Accelerometer (In fish)
• Cognitive enrichment quantification- GPS
• Physical enrichment quantification- Accelerometer
• Eliminated
• Prohibitively expensive
• Not too durable and not reusable if caught by otter
• Difficult to manufacture a convincing mechanical fish
Introduction | Alternatives | Analysis | Chosen Design
Chosen Design- Puzzle Ball
• A 15 cm diameter, 2 lbs hollow ball constructed of ABS
thermoplastic polymer with two shells
• Otter must unscrew two differing size shells to open the
ball and get rewarded by food inside the ball
• Sensors: Accelerometer and gyroscope (located on inner
shell)
• Cognitive enrichment progress monitored by
• Improvements in the speed at which the otter solves the puzzle
(accelerometer)
• Decrease in orientation variations (gyroscope)
• Physical enrichment progress monitored by
• Speed variations reflecting dexterity improvements (accelerometer)
Introduction | Alternatives | Analysis | Chosen Design
Chosen Design- Puzzle Ball
• Durability- ABS polymer
• Rigid matrix interspersed with the synthetic rubber polybutadiene
• 2 Shells
• 1st shell: 0.4 cm thick, 2 interlocked hemispheres
• One hemisphere has a groove running along the perimeter that widens at
one specific position on the perimeter
• Second hemisphere has a normal perimeter with a protrusion that fits into
the groove.
• Protrusion is only released from groove at the widened area
• 2nd shell: 0.6 cm thick, houses sensor, 2 interlocking hemispheres
• Located inside the 1st shell
• Same locking mechanism as first shell
Introduction | Alternatives | Analysis | Chosen Design
Chosen Design- Puzzle Ball
• Sensor Setup: Adafruit Inertial Measurement Unit, Arduino
microcontroller, WiFi Chip (total thickness 4mm)
• Adafruit IMU consists of two sensors: gyrometer and accelerometer
(3 DOF each)
Accelerometer
Adafruit IMU
I2C Bus
Arduino
Processor
I2C Bus
WiFi Chip
Gyrometer
Server
Introduction | Alternatives | Analysis | Chosen Design
Chosen Design- Puzzle Ball
Novelty
• Potential as a predictive/diagnostic tool
• reduced strength due to illness or reduce cognitive function due to
neurodegenerative ailment
• Cognitive challenge is accurately difficult
• Promotes enrichment in addition to an active involvement in otter
health by the caretakers
Introduction | Alternatives | Analysis | Chosen Design
Future Plans
Date
Objective
Nov 3rd
Nov 19th
Nov 20th
Nov 20th29th
Complete Sensor Construction
Finish and turn in peer reviews
Complete 3D printing and construction of Prototype
Nov 29th
Dec 1st
Dec 3rd
Dec 20th
Test prototype at St. Louis Zoo
Finish rough draft of final report and send to Dr.
Klaesner for review
Turn in finished version of final report
Final oral report and presentation of prototype done by
Michael
Conversion of prototype into a lasting, working model
References
"Adafruit 9-DOF IMU Breakout - L3GD20 + LSM303." Adafruit Industries. Adafruit, 29
Nov 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
"Animal Tracks - River Otter (Lutra Canadensis)." Bear Tracker. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct.
2014.
AZA Small Carnivore TAG 2009. Otter (Lutrinae) Care Manual. Association of Zoos and
Aquariums, Silver Spring, MD.
Carss, David N. “Foraging Behavior and Feeding Ecology of the Otter Lutra Lutra: A
Selective Review.” Hystrix. Scotland, UK: Institute of Terrestrial Ecology. (179-194). 1995
.
Seymour, Raymond B. "Origin and Early Development of Rubber-Toughened
Plastics." Rubber-Toughened Plastics (1987): 3-13.
"Square Force-Sensitive Resistor (FSR) - Interlink 406." Adafruit Industries. N.p., n.d.
Web. 23 Oct. 2014.
"Stainless Steel 3D Printing Material Information - Shapeways." Shapeways.com. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.