Led a team in designing an innovative insect capture device for my senior capstone project, winning “Best Iterative Design” award through systematic design refinement and user-centered problem solving.
Final prototype of the insect capture device
Design Challenges
Design and build a device that safely captures insects without harming them, addressing the common problem of ineffective or dangerous home insect removal methods. The device needed to be user-friendly, reliable, and manufacturable at reasonable cost.
Iterative Design Process
Our team went through multiple design cycles, each addressing specific user needs and technical constraints. Early prototypes revealed issues with capture mechanism reliability and ease of use, leading us to fundamentally rethink our approach.
Key iterations focused on:
- Refining the capture mechanism for consistent performance across different insect sizes
- Optimizing ergonomics for comfortable single-handed operation
- Simplifying the design for easier manufacturing while maintaining functionality
The iterative approach allowed us to test assumptions early, learn from failures, and progressively improve the design rather than committing to a single concept.
Technical Execution
I contributed to mechanical design, prototyping, and testing protocols. The project required balancing competing constraints: the device needed to be gentle enough for insect safety yet effective enough for reliable capture, compact enough for storage yet ergonomic for use.
We performed factor of safety calculations on critical components, developed testing procedures to validate performance across different scenarios, and iterated based on user feedback and mechanical testing results.
Results
The Better Bug Catcher won “Best Iterative Design” award, recognizing our systematic approach to design refinement. The project demonstrated how thoughtful iteration—testing, learning, and improving—leads to more robust solutions than trying to perfect a design on the first attempt.
Skills Applied
Mechanical design, prototyping, user testing, design iteration, team leadership, manufacturing considerations