NoBowl Feeding System – Working with animals
In our 2nd year of Product Design Engineering we worked as a team for the Safari Park Blair Drummond, designing a feeding tool that stimulates wild animals. My group chose the challenge of feeding a tiger and invented a zip line with a special clamp, which could be controlled remotely, changing its height and speed.
This NoBowl reminded me of lots of the challenges given when working with animals. There is no option to ask stakeholders or use surveys to gather information. It is mainly based on observation. If the product is successful or not, can be only analyzed during the actual operation phase. Prototypes would have to be sturdy and safe, because there is no way to communicate to the animal “This is not the proper thing. Be gentle!”
Apart from these aspects, we wanted to cover a bunch of problems.
The animal has to be fed.
The animal has to be the right amounts at various times.
The feeding process should be as similar as possible to a wild feeding experience, without harming other animals
The feeding process has to be safe and sturdy
The tool has to be able to be retrieved out of the enclosure without putting anyone under risk
The feeding process should stimulate the animal physically and mentally to avoid boredom
The feeding process might be educational for spectators
This cat feeder is a great design to demonstrate how some of the problems we encountered where solved. The Veterinarian, Dr. Liz Bales, came up with the NoBowl Feeding System:
The NoBowl feeds the cat at multiple occasions without having the be refilled every single time. It has to find the ‘mouse’ and play with it to extract food. With multiple NoBowls hidden, that cat benefits from multiple engaging and stimulating feeding processes. It comes close to a real hunting experience, missing out on the chase, because the NoBowl does not move. But the engagement of looking for the food already encourages the cat physically and mentally.
“The NoBowl Feeding System is designed with a soft skin to simulate its prey. Cats love to pick it up and use their claws to enhance the experience. Its shape is designed to roll and move in the way a mouse or bird would. Cats are exhilarated without being scared by an unpredictable movement. Once trained, you portion out the day's food between the 5 NoBowls and then hide them. Your cat will hunt, play, eat and then rest until hunger stimulates her to go hunting again... just like in nature.”
The design is sturdy and well thought through. The food is easy to insert and the individual parts are simple to take apart and clean.
The NoBowl comes with a trainer, a filler and five ‘mice’ and costs about £48.
I think the NoBowl is no life changer, but a good example for how design for animals can be executed.
