|
|
| 13 mar 2007 |
13u51 |
21st Century mouse trap
A small family-run business from the East Flemish town of Lokeren has developed an ultramodern mouse trap that sends out a text message when the trap has shut on the mouse.
|
The new electronic device was invented and developed by the Flemish company Ondes and has been named Pro-Ketch. Unique in its kind, it has rapidly filled a gap in the market.
As Erwin Callebout of Ondes explains, the idea behind the trap is quite simple.
"The mouse that believes to have found a nice hiding place, quite unaware runs into the "inviting" trap. Once that has happened, a sensor is activated and sends out a signal to the main computer. The computer then automatically sends a text message that reads "mouse caught".
Although the electronic mouse trap may be a bit too much hi-tech and moreover too expensive for ordinary households, various types of industry have already shown their interest and big warehouses especially, as well as the nutrition and pharmaceutical industries have become important customers.
Apparently, many American multi-nationals have been waiting for a mouse trap of this kind for a very long time. The food industry, for instance, cannot resort to mouse poison to get rid of the uninvited guests. The classic mouse trap often does not offer a solution either.
"No company wants to experience the moment when a customer finds a dead mouse between his sandwich", Mr Callebout explains.
"The food industry's standards have become increasingly strict. A mouse that has been caught cannot stay in the trap for more than 48 hours. However, it is very labour-intensive and expensive to check on the mouse traps several times a week. Many of these companies have specially appointed staff that walk round and check on the traps several times a day."
With the new mouse trap that is no longer necessary. The trap just needs to be set out and computer does all the rest.
"If desired, we can send out a message to the technicians every half hour that tells them the trap is still active", Mr Callebout concludes.
|
|
|
|
|
Student finds dead mouse in bag of chips