Our Proposed Innovation: RodentRecon.
Cindy Zheng
The City College of New York
Writing for Engineering: ENGL 21007
Professor Jacobson
May 1, 2023
2.1 Current Methods for Rat Control in NYC_
2.2 Drawbacks of the Current Methods for Rat Control
2.3 A Dual System for Rat Detection and Prevention_
3.2 Estimation of Direct and Indirect Costs
1. Introduction
Rats are a common issue in New York City, and the city has two species of rats, the Norway rat, and the roof rat (Orkin. n.d). These rats are difficult to trap because of their ability to squeeze through tiny holes, and they can enter buildings through cracks in the walls or foundation, through damaged doors or windows, or even through pipes and drains. Rats are known to carry and transmit diseases such as leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and hantavirus. In addition, it is estimated that rats and mice cause around 20 percent of undetermined house fires in the United States (Automatic Trap Company. n.d). Our project proposal is to introduce preventative measures that homeowners and private business owners can set up to track and keep rodents off their property. Our model is based on a modular system in which homeowners can set up motion detectors and cameras at any part of their property to receive real-time notifications on rodent activities throughout the day 24/7. Its goal is to implement motion sensors and cameras to track the hotspots of rat movement without human intervention. Our essay will go on to discuss past rodent control measures taken up by homeowners and private business owners, how to use our system and process of the innovation of itself, and the process of building the innovation.
2. Technical Description
2.1 Current Methods for Rat Control in NYC
New York City (NYC) faces an ongoing struggle with rat infestations, with millions of rats estimated to roam the city streets and subways. Not to mention, with constant breeding and poor sanitation, it is not uncommon for rats and other rodents to seek shelter and food in residential buildings and private businesses. The city has implemented various methods in place to control and prevent the spread of rats, such as health inspections, rat baiting, and traps. Residents, however, have access to rat traps, ultrasonic rodent repellant devices, and the exterminator. Additionally, the city has strict regulations on garbage disposal and food handling, which helps prevent the proliferation of rats. Furthermore, the dense urban landscape and high population density make it easier for the city to identify and respond to rat infestations quickly. Overall, New York City’s proactive approach to rodent control has been more successful than other cities in minimizing the rat population and preventing the spread of disease as much as possible. However, while these methods have been working, they are not on par with the rat infestation and the problem keeps on getting worse and worse. Moving forward, we will discuss the drawbacks of the methods implemented by the city.
2.2 Drawbacks of the Current Methods for Rat Control
Health inspections, as mentioned earlier, are a key tool in detecting and preventing rat infestations. However, inspections alone may not be sufficient to eliminate rats from an area. A study published by the journal Pest Management Science found that while inspections can be effective in detecting rat activity, they may not be enough to control infestations on their own NewsTimes. (2009, November 15). The study also notes that many infested properties are not inspected in their entirety, meaning that the scope of the problem may be much larger than what is currently being detected.
Rat baiting and traps are also commonly used in NYC to control rat populations. While these methods can be effective in reducing rat populations, they can potentially pose risks to other wildlife and even pets. For example, animals high in the food chain can prey upon smaller rodents and animals that have ingested rat poison which can cause a significant threat to natural habitats and ecosystems. (Risks for wildlife. Safe Rodent Control. n.d.). Traps may also accidentally catch other small animals, such as squirrels or birds endangering local wildlife species. Additionally, because rats breed at a fast rate, traps and baits are not a very efficient solution to the problem.
As mentioned earlier, homeowners and private business owners also use ultrasonic rodent repellants in hopes that the frequency transmitted by the devices will deter rodents from entering their properties. However, rodents, like all smart mammals, understand that the sounds emitted are not harmful, so proven to be ineffective in preventing rodents from entering homes (Bot, G. L. I. (2018, December 28).
2.3 A Dual System for Rat Detection and Prevention
To address all the issues and shortcomings, we will introduce to you a dual system that uses motion sensors and cameras to detect rodent activity. This cutting-edge camera utilizes advanced technology to detect the heat signatures of rats as they move around the monitored area, providing homeowners and pest control professionals with a powerful tool for the early detection and prevention of rat infestations. Equipped with a high-resolution sensor, low-light capabilities, and advanced video analytics software, this camera offers reliable and accurate detection of rats in real time. Its network connectivity allows for remote monitoring and control, providing customers with instant alerts when rats are detected.
This camera system consists of:
1. Infrared Motion Sensor: The camera would be equipped with an infrared motion sensor, which can detect the heat signatures of rats as they move around the area being monitored. The sensor would have a specific sensitivity level to ensure that it can detect even small movements by rats.
2. High-resolution Camera: The camera would have a high-resolution sensor, which would enable it to capture clear and detailed images of the rats as they move around the area being monitored. The camera would be able to capture both still images and video footage.
3. Low-light capabilities: Since rats are most active during the night, the camera would need to be capable of capturing clear images and video footage in low-light conditions. This may involve the use of infrared illumination or other low-light technologies.
4. Motion Detection: The camera could detect any movements within the area being monitored and trigger an alert or recording when motion is detected. The camera would be able to distinguish between different types of motion to prevent false alarms.
5. Video Analytics: The camera may be equipped with advanced video analytics software that can analyze the captured footage and identify any rats that are present. The software may use machine learning algorithms to identify and track the rats in real time.
6. Network Connectivity: To set up network connectivity, the camera can be connected to the internet or a local network. The camera footage can then be remotely accessed and monitored using an app or website. The data from the camera is stored in a hub that is connected to the network. This hub acts as a centralized storage location for all the footage captured by the camera. When rats are detected, the system can send alerts to the app or website for homeowners or pest control professionals to take necessary action. Overall, network connectivity enables the camera to be an efficient and effective tool for remote monitoring and control.
Overall, a dual system designed to detect rats in someone’s house or building using an infrared motion sensor and the camera would be an efficient solution designed to provide reliable and accurate detection of rodents. A large obstacle to this is New York’s aging infrastructure and poor sanitation; As one of America’s oldest cities, cleanliness has been a major problem New Yorkers have suffered for centuries; from the trash filled streets of the 19th century, the horse manure of the early 20th century, and now the rodent infested streets & subways of the 21st century.
3. Process of Innovation
New York City has been dealing with waste for centuries and as of current, the city’s waste management program is not sufficient in keeping the streets free of trash. With a city producing over 14 million tons of trash annually, there’s no surprise that the population of rats have been blooming (Waste – Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. n.d.). Hence, our group came up with an idea to tackle the problem through accurate tracking of rats in all five boroughs of New York. However, as we started our research and drafting up our prototypes, we realized that there were limitations to our idea, because the idea of tracking rats across the city would prove to be intangible simply due to the geography of NYC. Therefore, we decided to bring our focus out to a smaller audience: homeowners and private business owners because we felt that instead of trying to tackle the rat problem, it would be better to start small. That’s how we came up with a modular dual monitoring system, in which triangle-shaped motion sensors can be placed in room corners and cameras would be placed higher up near the ceiling to capture wider views that the motion sensor would not be able to do.
Currently, the main source of rat tracking is through 311 calls, where residents of the city called to report areas with high rat infestation, but with our proposed system, homeowners and business owners can pinpoint where exactly in their property that rats are running amok and deal with it accordingly. Homeowners usually use exterminators to deal with an infestation problem that is within their place of residence. Homeowners sometimes feel like they are at the mercy of their exterminator to deal with rodent problems and may feel like they can’t do anything to prevent this themselves.
3.1 Product Development
We’re projecting a product development and testing timeline of nine months. Our group wanted to produce a design that would be sleek and easy to implement, which is why we made the devices small and hand sized. The sensor is compact and built so that it can be put into room corners, as rats tend to walk along walls to avoid being spotted. We also thought that the camera should include an infrared sensor built into it to spot night activity. Additionally, we also planned for customers to be able to select to what vicinity of their property they wanted the devices to look over. Both devices will then be triggered to send notifications and photo snapshots of rodent activity to the user’s app and email. Originally, our plan was to combine both cameras and motion sensors together, however, we noticed that it wouldn’t cover all areas of a property.
The infrared of the camera will create an invisible “grid” that will be able to cover a certain area and is triggered when something sets off more than one of those grids and rapidly changes heat signatures. Then both the camera and the motion sensor are covered in a protective layer of scratch-resistant plastic so that it won’t be easily damaged and keeps the circuitry safe. The main component of the motion sensor, also known as the PIR, is the infrared sensor that pick-up heat signatures coming off objects in a set area. The PIR will help pinpoint where the rats are throughout their daily life, by seeing their heat signature.
3.2 Estimation of Direct and Indirect Costs
The motion sensor and the camera will be connected to a hub which allows the data to be stored and analyzed so that users can access everything on an app and website. For our proposed product, we are projecting our costs off estimated product development costs for the product and software including similar product components in the market such as camera systems and hubs like Alexa and the Echo Dot. With the current market prices for outsourcing raw materials, development and testing, cost of labor, and production we are estimating direct costs to range between 10,000 to 30,000 dollars depending on the scale of production (Labs, E. D. | P. R. 2020, March 24). Indirect costs like utilities and maintenance are to be around 1,000 dollars, hence bringing out estimates to be around 80 dollars per unit. The per unit cost will be excluding needed storage for the camera in the form of a Solid-State Drive (SSD) card a standard one terabyte SSD card can cost 50 dollars on Amazon (SanDisk extreme portable SSD. TechSpot. n.d.) therefore, customers will have to purchase that separately. The next aspect of the product is the website and app in which users can see the data collected from the monitoring cameras and detectors.
4. Conclusion
In conclusion, rats pose significant health and safety concerns for all homeowners and business owners in New York City. Despite the city’s proactive approach to rodent control, the problem persists and requires innovative solutions. The current methods of controlling rats, such as health inspections, rat baiting and traps, and ultrasonic rodent repellants, have their drawbacks and aren’t quite effective as they are said to be. Our proposed dual system, which uses motion sensors and cameras to detect rat activity, provides a powerful tool for early detection and prevention of rat infestations. The system’s advanced technology and network connectivity enable remote monitoring and control, providing customers with real-time alerts when rats are detected. With the use of this innovative technology, homeowners and private business owners can stay ahead of rat infestations and keep their properties free from the dangers associated with rats.
5. References
Orkin. (n.d.). How to Identify Rats | Rodent Removal & Control | Www.orkin.com. Retrieved
April 10, 2023, from https://www.orkin.com/pests/rodents/rats/different-types-of-rat-species
Calder, B. (2023). Rats Cause House Fires. Automatic Trap Company. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://www.automatictrap.com/blogs/news/how-rats-cause-house-fires#:~:text=It%27s%20estimated%20that%20rats%20and
Bot, G. (2020, November 11). Does Ultrasonic Rodent Repellent Work? | Wil-Kil Pest Control. Wil-Kil Pest Control. Retrieved April 29, 2023, from https://www.wil-kil.com/blog/does-ultrasonic-rodent-repellent-work/
NewsTimes. (2009, November 15) Rat reports show NYC Health Inspection System is flawed.
Retrieved April 29, 2023, from
https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Rat-reports-show-NYC-health-inspection-system-is-237726.php
Risks for wildlife. Safe Rodent Control. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2023, from http://saferodentcontrol.org/site/wildlife/
SanDisk extreme portable SSD. TechSpot. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2023, from
Tross, K. (2023, March 7). The beginner’s guide to motion sensors. SafeWise. Retrieved April
28, 2023, from https://www.safewise.com/resources/motion-sensor-guide/#Types_of_motion_sensors
Labs, E. D. | P. R. (2020, March 24). How to Estimate Product Development Costs. Pacific Research. Retrieved April 29, 2023, from https://www.pacific-research.com/how-to-estimate-product-development-costs-prl/
Waste – Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. (n.d.). Www.nyc.gov. Retrieved April 29, 2023, from https://www.nyc.gov/site/sustainability/codes/waste.page#:~:text=New%20York%20City%20produces%20more
Self-Reflection
After receiving this project, I was excited to start it. I have always enjoyed taking part in group collaborations, and this project did not disappoint. However, I encountered several challenges. For instance, one of the biggest challenges was determining how to pivot my group’s original ideas into something that would be more feasible.
Our original plan was to develop a rodent-tracking device that tracks the hotpots of rats in New York City. It would be a singular device with several components such as a vibration sensor to sense where rats would burrow, an infrared camera to track the rats with their heat signatures, and lastly, a motion sensor to identify rats. However, after showing this idea to people outside my group, I realized that our ideas were not very solid. I have shown the group’s proposal to two people. One used to work in manufacturing, and another worked with the NYC Parks Department. Both had said that my group’s idea was well intended, but the features that we chose were too broad and would take a lot of money to implement. In addition, there has not been much research done to support our idea of using vibration sensors or motion sensors to track smaller mammals. Thus, there was no way to differentiate between the heat signatures of larger objects, such as trains, cars, larger mammals, and rats. Similarly, vibration sensors are overpowered by the vibrations of larger objects.
I have shown our proposal to the two professionals the week before the deadline for this project and did not have the opportunity to set up additional times to come up with a new idea with my group members, so I ended up working out a solution and conducting research myself to present a new but similar project proposal to my group. One takeaway from learning how to pivot from one idea to another is to consult professionals earlier than later because what I or my group may have thought to be a good idea turned out to be lacking in ways that we did not see.
If I were to work on a similar project in the future, I would propose that my group select a team lead first. This time, we did not set any, but my actions were those of a team leader. I felt that, because there was no clear distinction between those who were taking charge, I could not delegate tasks as firmly as needed. Instead, I often asked what parts everyone was looking forward to and did not take much of their strengths and weaknesses into consideration. Additionally, because I was not aware of how my group members worked, the quality of the work done was not equally distributed, which resulted in me having to repeatedly edit many parts of the essay.
Finally, I felt that my standards for the quality of work for the project were not met. For instance, I had a certain visualization of how the research and drafting of the proposal would be done. However, I did not see that in the first drafts of the written proposal, and I was also not sure how to convey my thoughts to my group members. Moving forward, I would like to work on my skills by firmly giving criticism and delegating tasks without sounding my unsure.
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