Burrowing Animal Trap Using Burrow Mimicry and Segmented Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional live animal traps are ineffective for capturing burrowing animals due to their unfamiliar appearance, reliance on bait, and difficulty in setting, which often results in unintended species being trapped or harmed, and captured animals facing risks from environmental conditions before removal.
Innovation Solution
An animal trap designed to resemble an extension of a burrow, featuring a main body with a concave interior and a cage floor that divides it into a capture area and a pathway, with a trap door mechanism that transitions between set and triggered positions to enclose the animal, ensuring safe capture and protection from environmental hazards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional live animal traps are used, then capture capability is provided, but burrowing animals are frightened away due to unfamiliar appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The trap is designed to visually replicate a natural burrow entrance and interior, copying the appearance and structure of the animal's natural habitat. This includes using earth-toned materials, creating a tunnel-like entryway, and arranging internal elements to resemble a natural burrow environment, thereby deceiving the animal into entering without suspicion.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the trap are designed with locally optimized characteristics: the entrance mimics natural soil and vegetation, the interior gradually transitions from natural to artificial features, and the capture chamber is positioned at the deepest point where the animal would naturally burrow. This gradient approach maintains animal acceptance while ensuring secure capture.
2Reliability
If bait is used to attract animals, then capture probability increases, but unintended species are attracted and may be harmed
Solution Approach 1:
The trap design segments the attraction mechanism from the capture mechanism. Instead of using bait that attracts multiple species, the trap uses visual cues and structural design to attract only burrowing animals. The entrance is configured to accommodate only animals of appropriate size and behavior patterns, naturally filtering out unintended species before they reach the capture chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The trap structure itself acts as an intermediary that selectively guides intended target animals into the capture chamber while allowing unintended species to pass by or avoid the trap entirely. The design includes features such as specific entrance angles, tunnel dimensions, and interior configurations that match the behavior and morphology of burrowing animals but not other species.
3Reliability
If trap takes time to attract animals with bait, then capture is eventual, but time loss and animal hunger reduce effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The trap is pre-configured with visual attractants and structural cues that immediately signal a natural burrow environment to burrowing animals upon approach. The entrance is pre-decorated with soil, vegetation, and structural elements that mimic the animal's natural habitat, eliminating the need for time-consuming bait placement and allowing animals to be attracted and captured much more quickly.
4Ease of operation
If trap has gaps for animal entry, then animal can enter, but captured animal may bite handler through gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The trap design transitions from two-dimensional flat panels to three-dimensional curved surfaces that naturally deflect and redirect animal bites away from handler exposure points. The rounded corners, arched ceilings, and sloped floors create geometric barriers that prevent direct line-of-sight biting paths from the capture chamber to the exterior handling areas.
5Reliability
If trap is difficult or dangerous to set, then capture mechanism is secure, but user safety and ease of setup are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The trap incorporates self-latching mechanisms, spring-loaded doors, and automatic trigger systems that secure the capture chamber without requiring complex manual configuration. Once the animal enters and triggers the mechanism, the trap automatically seals and secures itself, eliminating the need for handlers to perform dangerous or complex setup procedures and reducing both difficulty and safety risks.
Data Source
AI summary
An animal trap is configured to enclose the entrance to a burrow and appear to the animal as an extension of the burrow. As a result, the animal will be likely to enter the animal trap under the mistaken belief that it is exiting the burrow. The animal trap may include a main body and a cage floor that define a capture area. The main body is designed to form a pathway into the capture area which is downwardly oriented so that the trap can be placed directly overtop the burrow opening.