Caterpillar water quality tracker
Industrial Design - Conceptual design
“72% of the Earth is covered in water. Unfortunately, we can’t use most of that as drinking water. Over 97% of the Earth’s water is salt water in oceans and seas. Another 2% is frozen in icecaps and glaciers. That leaves less than 1% of the Earth’s water for everyone to drink. As the Earth’s population grows, and many countries are further developed, fresh water is becoming more and more limited.”
- Penn State University
4 month project
Product goal:
This tracker can help us keep our 1% of drinkable water in good shape
Concept exploration summary
Inspired by three different sea creatures, and their ability to move under water. Also studied some of the physical characteristics that allow them perform certain tasks in their water-based habitats.
Aesthetic exploration summary
CAD exploded view + scale
Final concept
Inspired by a stingray’s physiology and means of navigation. This environmental tracker would be able to track changes in water quality (pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity etc.) and communicate this data wirelessly to water providers.
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