Snail Tracker Project

Client-facing product design

Diving for conchs in Miami. (Photo c/o Larry Skipper)
Photo c/o Andy Kough.

In my DSGN 384 Interdisciplinary Product Design course, I worked in a team of four on a client-facing project for two quarters.

Our client, Shedd Aquarium researcher Dr. Andy Kough, studies conch movement. My three teammates and I set out to design a snail tracking device that (1) accurately and efficiently translated accelerometer data to directionality, (2) securely attached the device to the conch, (3) prevented internal movement, and (4) increased energy efficiency.

Conch Movement Tracking: Marine Research Device Design

Research

Literature Review

  • Compiled research on Attachments, Accelerometers, Snails, Sustainability, and Other
  • 14-page review covering client goals, study design, relevant research, and waterproofing/alternative study designs

Expert Sources

  • Consulted NOAA researcher Jennifer Doerr for conch tracking methodology and epoxy resins as an attachment method
  • Discussed adhesives with Materials Science and Engineering Professor Emeritus Stephen Carr
  • Explored IMUs and alternate arduino configurations after discussing circuits and energy capacity with Mechanical Engineering Professor Nick Marchuk

Components

Initial setup: tracker package attached to the conch with wire (c/o Andy Kough).
Components of tracker package.

Process

The team identified several pain points.

  • Inconsistent attachment
    Wired attachment was inefficient, prevented material reuse, and made the device prone to shifting, which impeded data accuracy.
  • Data correction & analysis
    Accelerometer axes do not align with the heading of the conchs, primarily due to slight shifting within tracker casing (secured by a loose rubber insert and hook-and-loop velcro), variance in tracker placement due to unique shell topography.
  • Limited battery life
    1000mA battery provides power for 4 days, necessitating an additional trip to find conchs and replace batteries.
Journey map drawn by teammate Hannah Boruchov. Pain points indicated by lightning bolts.

MIAMI FIELD WORK

  • Received grant for Miami fieldwork; soldered data loggers, retrieved 16 conchs, and placed them in a saltwater mesocosm
  • Tested trackers, data logger functionality, and a novel alignment method for data correction
Prepping trackers. Data loggers are soldered and placed in Go-Pro housing.
Snails in the lab. Conchs are placed in a saltwater mesocosm. Distance moved is measured to ensure proper acclimation, and the conchs await the testing of the data loggers while interim trackers are prepped.
Attachment. After the lip of each conch is drilled, trackers are attached for data logger testing.
Novel alignment method. Once each conch is taken from the tank and fitted with a tracker, they are aligned with a PVC pipe beside a north-facing compass. Strungs are hung from above the mesocosm in order to record location and directionality, with the tank sectioned into four quadrants.

Final Deliverables

Product

  1. An improved attachment method that is optimized for efficiency, security, robustness, and ease of use.
  2. An arduino positioning cradle to secure device components.
  3. Standardized, off-the-shelf casing components that are waterproof, robust to pressure changes, low weight, easy to use, readily available, and help to easily and consistently identify each unique device.
  4. A larger capacity battery to maximize data collection time and minimize the number of trips needed to facilitate the study.

Final Product Report

The team's 42-page final product report encompassed the results of our work and justifications for key design decisions, including an executive summary, testing results and procedures, product specs, and possible future directions. I also indicated key findings from several client interview and expert source interviews in our appendices and created a summary of testing in Miami in conjunction with Bryan Sanchez.

Improved attachment. Configuration of components with mechanical fastener on conch (with rubber washer, bolt, split washer & nut).
Arduino positioning cradle modeled in Solidworks by teammate Hannah Boruchov. The cradle keeps the accelerometer aligned with the case edges to prevent internal movement & improve accuracy of directionality measurements.
Angle measurement tool. After attaching devices to each conch on the boat, each is photographed. Testing indicated a 2.2% decrease in variance when using the tool.
Data correction. Angular offset between the device orientation and the conch heading is measured using ImageJ software. This data is recorded and used in the lab to correct accelerometer data.