Mobile Chicken Coop with Automated Egg Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional poultry egg farming lacks real-time monitoring and automation, restricting outdoor access for birds, leading to higher labor and infrastructure costs, and environmental impact, while current nest boxes do not facilitate automatic egg collection, resulting in dirty eggs and high CAPEX requirements.
Innovation Solution
A fully automated free-range egg harvester with solar panels, communication antenna, roll-away nest boxes, conveyor belt with infrared sensors, rainwater filtration, and remote operation capabilities, allowing for real-time monitoring and reduced labor through a web application, enabling portable and sustainable egg production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional nest boxes are used without automatic collection, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to manual egg collection and washing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The nest box automatically conveys eggs via conveyor belt to collection area without human intervention, and the infrared sensor automatically counts eggs, eliminating manual labor while maintaining simple operational control
Solution Approach 2:
Manual egg collection and counting is replaced by automated conveyor belt mechanism and infrared sensor detection system, improving efficiency while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through modular design
2Reliability
If fixed infrastructure is built for chicken housing, then reliability of farming operation is improved, but loss of substance increases due to high CAPEX and land ownership requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The chicken coop is designed as a mobile unit that can be towed by tractor or vehicle, transforming fixed infrastructure into a dynamic, relocatable system that reduces land ownership requirements while maintaining operational reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The farming system is divided into modular mobile units rather than large fixed infrastructure, allowing incremental investment and deployment while reducing overall capital expenditure and land requirements
3Manufacturing precision
If birds are restricted from outdoor access, then manufacturing precision of controlled environment is improved, but object-affected harmful factors increase due to intensive vaccination and antibiotic programs
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile coop design enables dynamic transition between indoor protected environment and outdoor free-range access, allowing birds to benefit from both controlled conditions and natural outdoor benefits, reducing reliance on antibiotics
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile coop serves multiple functions: providing protected indoor housing during adverse conditions while enabling outdoor free-range access during suitable conditions, combining advantages of both systems
4Loss of time
If conventional egg collection methods are used, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of time increases due to manual collection and washing processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic egg collection through conveyor belt and automatic counting through infrared sensors, eliminating manual labor time while maintaining simple operational oversight
Solution Approach 2:
The egg collection function is extracted from manual labor and automated through mechanical conveyor and optical sensing systems, reducing time investment while keeping the added complexity minimal and modular
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces labor and infrastructure costs, promotes healthier egg production, minimizes environmental impact, and allows for remote monitoring and management of egg farming operations, enabling land leasing rather than ownership, and providing cleaner eggs with reduced washing processes.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of solar panels for generating electricity
Implementation Method 2
infrared sensors 301 are provided to count eggs as they roll onto the conveyor belt
Implementation Method 3
the rainwater is filtered using a pump to suck the water from the tubes, then to pass through a sediment filter and finally through a carbon activated filter
Implementation Method 4
pass through a sediment filter
Implementation Method 5
pass through a carbon activated filter
Data Source
AI summary
A free grazing egg harvester device comprises: a plurality of solar panel; a communication antenna; a front access door; a plurality of roll away nest boxes; a side access door; a plurality of nest gates; a water reservoir; a plurality of water nozzles; a plurality of wheels; and a plurality of roosts. An actuator is provided to open and close the plurality of nest gates. The actuator has a piston that further has an extension rod. The extension rod has two arms that push/pull the plurality of nest gates by extending and contracting the extension rod. The device has many advantages like reduction in fixed infrastructure investments, mobile nests for production of free grazing eggs, energy autonomy, storage and filtration of rainwater, real-time remote data transmission is available in any type of communication device.