Sea urchin panel
Recruitment panels, panels where sea urchins can grow in, are used to measure how many sea urchins settle at different depths in the sea. These recruitment panels are used to answer the question of why nowadays almost no sea urchins occur in deeper waters, where this used to be the case.
- Client VHL
- Start Project 2018
- More information Hvhl.nl
The sea urchin panel in summary
This is a recruitment panel where sea urchins can grow in. This is to measure how many sea urchins settle at different depths in the sea.
This project
Industrial Design and Product Engineering
Designing for the sea urchins
With the sea urchin panels, it is important that the panels are firm and stable on the bottom of the sea and will not fall over when there is a strong current. The panel gets a lot to endure underwater and will have to be able to handle this. The panel must have a large number of compartments with specific dimensions so that the sea urchins can settle there.
- Must be resistant to the current of the sea
- Concept worked out to everything from 1 sheet
- Mini series of 20 pieces for a specific research
"Ideal partner"
“Wortel was the ideal partner for us to get from idea to product. They designed a smart and easy-to-use solution for us and supervised the process up to production. We are very satisfied with the cooperation.”
Mr. A. Hylkema, Van Hall Larenstein
Prototyping and Production support
A design for the bottom of the sea
The recruitment panel is placed under water and has to endure a lot from the salt water. The choice of materials is tailored to these conditions on the bottom of the sea and a specialized processing technique has been used. A production partner was chosen in the Netherlands. Within 2 months after the request, testing in the area with the entire series has already started.
- Material selection
- Prototype development
- Testing
Frank Westland, Industrial engineer
Unique project
“We have looked extensively to find the right proportions for sea urchins to settle down and for the researchers to measure, so we could then develop the sea urchin panel with this knowledge in mind. This project appealed to us especially because it is a product that has a sustainable function.”
