Mousetrap Project

Intro to Engineering Design Period 7 Project Upcycled Mousetrap 2/6/22-3/10/22

Commissioned by Dr. Brian Schick, the Upcycled Mousetrap Project is a project whose fundamental purpose is to demonstrate how an engineer can create (and manufacture) a fun toy for all, when given only simple materials and mechanisms [to power the toy]. To power the toy, we were given a mouse trap, with the explicit instructions that that was to be our sole mode of power to power the entire toy. The unorthodox nature of this problem begs the question: “why?”. The answer can be found in the materials, which consist primarily of cardboard, wood glue, sticks, skewers, and popsicle sticks. Through analyzing the materials, it is inferred that the project is meant to demonstrate how an engineer can recycle materials into an entirely new product; one that can be usable by the general public for enjoyment and entertainment. Indeed, this can be applied to the general problem of world pollution, in which many toys are produced with non-biodegradable materials, leading only to clutter nature. This project can find its roots in that and can be considered as a way to potentially create an eco-friendly product that can be enjoyed. So, we were ordered to create a fun, appealing toy, with only a strict set of given materials, that was to be powered entirely by a mouse trap. In addition to this, we had to somehow engineer a way for the mousetrap to be slowed for eight seconds, to meet the requirements of the project. To properly administer work, Ayaan Muhammed (me) was chosen as the Group Lead, with Alex Dion being the general worker. With all the work that has been put into the manufacturing process of the toy, it is of considerable importance to recognize why the toy has turned out the way it did. At its fundamental principles, the toy has been created to meet all the requirements given by the client, but in reality, it has been created to satisfy an unhappy consumer base, who have become disenchanted with the thought of constantly playing with the same uninteresting toy, that could only be utilized in the same unchangeable way. The toy that we created encouraged creativity in its easy-to-build design, but also enabled fun with its marbles and complicated network of tunnels and funnels for them to run through. While one might raise the question that this could get boring quickly, the project can be easily reversed to be molded into entirely new designs. The usage of [biodegradable] plastic was not ideal, as we wanted to use solely class-approved materials. However, due to the limitations that we were only a two-man team, we found it necessary to cut our losses and use the premade funnels and tunnels. While not exactly ideal, it was this that saved the project from being continued past its deadline.