The idea for our device design originated from our investigation into the current state of S. invicta prevention and control. We aimed to reduce costs and enhance safety for township governments that lack sufficient funding to organize S. invicta prevention and control teams, enabling them to carry out more effective control efforts.
During our research, we learned that Shenzhen city, Guangdong provice, China, had employed professional S. invicta control teams for routine prevention and control measures. This approach addressed several issues, including the lack of professionalism, low efficiency, and low willingness among farmers to engage in control activities. It also regulated the supervision and statistical aspects of S. invicta prevention and control, improving overall efficiency. This method was a practical and verified measure that played a crucial role in local S. invicta control. However, the prerequisite for implementing such control measures is substantial financial support. While this may not be a challenge for financially robust cities like Shenzhen, it is a significant concern for cash-strapped township governments. Therefore, we aimed to design an appropriate device to reduce the costs and enhance the safety of organizing specialized S. invicta prevention and control teams for township governments with limited funding, ultimately improving their control efficiency.
To reduce costs, we initially considered the various aspects of expenditure that might be associated with establishing S. invicta prevention and control teams. Through discussions and consolidation during meetings, we identified the following areas:
| Cost source | Cost category |
|---|---|
| Personnel costs | Costs of hiring specialized personnel, training costs, and daily labor expenses (such as food and accommodation) |
| Material cost | Medication costs, spreading device costs (purchase, daily maintenance, charging, etc.) |
Among these cost categories, we believe that cost reduction efforts can be made in the following aspects, including:
| Cost category | Correspondence strategy |
|---|---|
| Cost of hiring specialized personnel and daily manpower costs | Reduce the number of people, improve the efficiency of drug administration, and reduce the difficulty of drug administration |
| Training fees | Reduce the difficulty of using the device |
| Medication costs | Improve killing efficiency, control appropriate spreading amount and reduce waste |
| Spreading device cost | Reduce device production costs, energy consumption or manual and maintenance costs |
From this table, we conclude that our device design should achieve the following goals:
1. Simple operation;
2. High pesticide dosing efficiency;
3. Controllable of pesticide spread;
4. Low production cost;
5. Low energy consumption or manual operation;
6. Durable and easy to maintain (it is best to replace some parts separately)
