Insect Egg Harvesting With Removable Receiving Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of manually seeding individual rearing pots with exactly one insect egg is labor-intensive and difficult due to the fragility and texture of eggs, making robotic manipulation challenging.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a container, receiving members, and an actuator for removing and inspecting individual eggs, allowing efficient harvesting and processing while maintaining insect populations within the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual seeding of individual rearing pots with insect eggs is performed, then each egg can be isolated and monitored, but the process becomes very labor intensive and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the harvesting process into discrete segments by providing multiple receiving members (100) that can be independently removed from the container (2). Each receiving member can be individually inspected and processed, allowing parallel operation and significantly increasing throughput while maintaining precise egg isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving member (100) acts as an intermediary carrier between the container (2) and the final processing stage. It provides a standardized interface that facilitates easy removal, inspection, and handling of eggs without direct manual manipulation, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining precision.
2Ease of operation
If robotic manipulation is used to handle insect eggs, then labor intensity is reduced, but the process becomes difficult due to egg fragility and texture
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving member (100) serves as a robust intermediary that provides a stable platform for egg placement. Instead of directly manipulating fragile eggs with robotic mechanisms, the system places eggs onto the receiving member which then protects and transports them, significantly improving reliability while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving member (100) can be designed as a disposable or easily replaceable component. This allows for simple, robust designs that prioritize ease of handling and egg protection over durability, with each receiving member being replaced after use rather than requiring complex protective mechanisms.
3Measurement precision
If all receiving members are removed from the container for inspection, then egg laying can be detected, but the insect population may escape or other receiving members with eggs are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables selective removal of individual receiving members (100) from the container (2) based on inspection needs. Only specific receiving members that require verification can be removed, while others remain in place to contain insects and protect eggs, thereby reducing escape risk while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The container (2) and receiving members (100) are designed with self-contained features that allow for easy identification of which receiving members need inspection. The system enables operators to selectively remove only those receiving members that require verification, reducing the need to handle all members and minimizing insect escape risk.
4Productivity
If receiving members are frequently removed and replaced, then egg harvesting efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the receiving members (100) into modular units that can be independently removed and replaced. This segmentation allows for simple, standardized interfaces that reduce the complexity of each individual component while enabling efficient harvesting through selective replacement of only those members containing eggs.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving member (100) is designed as a universal component that can be used repeatedly across multiple harvesting cycles. Its standardized design allows it to serve multiple functions: containing eggs during laying, facilitating inspection, and enabling efficient removal and replacement. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity while maintaining high harvesting efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus (1) with a container (2) for containing insects, a receiving member (200) upon which an insect in the container can lay an egg and an actuator (10) for removing the receiving member from the container once an egg has been laid upon the receiving member. The apparatus is for removing individual insect eggs from a container which contains many live insects. The individual eggs, once removed from the container, may be used in an individualized rearing process.