Meet the Team
About
This was a semester long project in collaboration with the Senenca Park Zoo. Our goal was to create an elephant enrichment device that would allow for the elephants to gain more exercise. This is due to the fact that most elephants in captivity gain more weight because they don't get to forage for food as much as they do in the wild, which could be for miles at a time. Our new device needed to promote their natural foraging activities and increase their exercise. The project team consisted of industrial designers, engineers, materials experts along with shop technicians. We all worked together to achieve our goal.
Research
Elephants in the wild live longer than their counterparts in captivity. They travel anywhere from 3-6 miles in search of food each day. The main reason is obesity. We wanted to promote exercise, increase foraging activities for the elephants and let them play too!
Desired Features
Washable. Durable. Stationary (But able to be moved if needed). Weather Resistant.
The green slides below represent my solution to the project
Series of tires connected together with metal rings on the inside
As you roll it food drops out of the tiny holes, thus increasing that foraging behavior
Then We met with the elephant caretakers...
Then our direction changed
I illustrated the concept here. It's basically a catapult that allows the elephants to insert a ring that falls down and shoots out food through the arm into the enclosure, thus promoting foraging activities.
Catapult Testing
We were testing the trajectory and length of the arm that we needed to launch over the fence and into the enclosure. Stephen(Left) and Jeremy(Right) are figuring out the trajectory.
Sand CAsting
We needed to make a ring for the elephants to insert. That process started by sand casting. David(Left) and Karl(Right) are both hard at work.
Sealing
We sprayed the sand and drilled holes to allow for the metal to pour
Almost ready
Now they are on their way to the forge.
Charges
I helped place the charges and get the furnace area ready for the pour.
Finished Ring
Our design requires the elephant to pick up this ring and deposit it into the machine to launch the food. I helped with the grinding of these rings to create a surface safe enough for the elephants to pick up.
FInal Touches
We have the metal on the outside so that this launcher can be cleaned easily. With handles and wheels so that this could be maneuvered easily by the caretakers.