digiTOOL: SnakeHolder

Intention

As a snake owner, travelling with my snake is a bit of a hassle. My travel container doesn’t have a handle. Its completely transparent which can be stressful to snakes during travels. Snakes like hiding spots but these containers are just a box. I usually stick a container in them so my snake can curl up in it. However, if I don’t keep the travel container level, the container I put in moves around way too much. My goal is to design a travel container that is a bit more catered towards snakes.

Research + Context

From what I have looked up, there aren’t that large of a variety of designs for snake specific carriers. They all tend to be plastic boxes with breathing holes. Surprisingly, most of them are transparent. My design will have interchangeable parts to hopefully make travel a bit easier on snakes.

Aesthetic Inspiration

My design was influenced by none other than my snake, Huxley. He always curls up a certain way so I used that as a reference for the general shape of the container.

Process + Procedure

The overall shape of the container was inspired by the natural curves of a snake. The design of the outershell is influenced by my snake’s name, Huxley. I am also focusing on overall stability of the container when travelling. Normal handles swing too much so I want to create multiple options for hanging and handling. I plan on using cardboard to prototype since it is easy to score to create the curved shapes that I want. I want to also prototype the actual assembly of the parts so I will be cutting out cardboard pieces the way that I will have the final pieces printed or cut.

Modelling Steps:

-First Sketch: Front view of the container and den.

-Extrude these lines out and create thickness.

-Sketch on top surface of extrusion to create the design

-Sketch on side views to create the rest of the design on outershell.

-Extrude these lines to cut into the initial container surface that I made.

-Split into parts that can be 3D printed.

Sketches

Reflection

I have used 3D modelling software all throughout my undergraduate career so getting used to Fusion360 didn't take too long. However, all my 3D modelling was of buildings so working at such a small scale was a first. The program layout itself was pretty efficient compared to other software I have used. The program is very step-oriented so I think I struggled the most with that.

The final product was smaller than I thought it would be but I feel that it worked out in that its "travel-size". I wish I had thought of a heat packet compartment since snakes can't regulate their own body temperature. The den that was 3D printed happens to be a bit too small so I may just use that as a heat packet compartment so my snake can just curl up next to it. Although it doesn't have handles, it is small enough that I can hold it comfortably with one hand.