Case Study: Pig Mazes for Agriculture Research

Case Introduction

The client for this project, a college professor conducting agricultural research, chose ShapeMaster after learning of our success in the research industry from a colleague. 

The research the client is conducting requires a large maze that will be used for studies on Ossabaw Island Hogs to observe the amount of time it takes for them to move throughout the maze and obtain the treats in each area.

In the past, we have created various versions of similar products for agriculture research, however an essential requirement for this specific maze was flexibility. In order to effectively conduct the study, the maze needed to be able to easily and efficiently adapt to allow for different pods of the maze to be used at various points in time or simultaneously. 

ShapeMaster’s Design Process

To ensure we could meet the unique needs of this project, we sat down with the client to identify all required functionalities. The maze needed to be durable, fit the size of the hogs in the study, easy to assemble and clean, highly customizable, and fit into a 16’x16’ room. 

After learning the requirements, our team went to work creating a design including eight configurable pods, providing the flexibility that the project demands while ensuring ease of use for setup and break down. 

Additionally, the system provides vertical guillotine-style sliding doors that lock in the upright position, allowing for the researchers to easily open and close the doors for entry into the maze. Inside the maze, there are clear strip doors that the pigs can pass through. A final requirement for the maze was the ability for both the pigs and researchers to easily move through the pods. 

To build this design, we used the process of “Fabrication” of plastic panels to create the walls of the pods. The vertical frames for the sliding doors are made from our own 8020 T slotted extrusion from which we make a good variety of machines, guards and devices.

Once the final design was built and assembled, the client could easily and effectively conduct the required research for this project using the maze designed by ShapeMaster. 

To learn more and see the maze in action, visit our videos page, here.