Lookingfor
aSolution

KimWilliams-Guillénhadbeenwatchingacoupleoftelevisionshows.Inbothshows,tinyGPStrackerswerehiddenineverydayitemstotrackdown“badguys.”Hmmmm,shethought,that’snotabad idea….


Williams-GuillénisanecologistandthedirectorofconservationscienceforPasoPacífico.It’saCalifornia-basedgroupthatprotectsbiodiversityinCentralAmerica.Sheknewseaturtleeggswerepoached,buttherewassomuchshedidn’tknow.Wheredidthepoachersgo?Whowasbuyingtheeggs?Sheneededawaytotrackthepoachers. ​​​​​​​Whatifshecreatedafaketurtleeggwithatrackingdeviceinitandputitinafreshseaturtlenest?Ifitlookedrealenough,poachersmightnot notice.

KimWilliams-Guillénholdsfaketurtleeggswithtrackers inside.

atime-lapsevideoofegg printing

ANewIdea

PasoPacíficosubmittedthisidea,nowknownastheInvestEGGator,totheWildlifeCrimeTechChallenge.Itwasselectedin2016asoneof16winnersoutof300 applicants.Theprizemoneywasusedtohelpdevelopthefirstprototypeforthefake eggs.


ArealseaturtleeggisaboutthesizeofaPing-Pongball,andithasasmalldentinit.It’snotcoveredinahardshell,likeabird’segg.Instead,it’sslightlysquishywithathin,butnotbrittle,shell.Togetasomewhatflexible— almostrubbery—feel,Williams-Guillénneededtofindtherightsortof plastic.

Shetestedseveralmaterialsbeforefindingtherightone.Sheuseda3-Dprintertoproducethefakeegg.Ittookabout90 minutestoprint.Aftersometrialanderror,shewasabletocreatejusttherightsizeandfeelforthephonyegg.Butitstilldidn’tlookquiteright.Inarealegg,theyellowoftheyolkalmostshinesthroughthethin,whiteshell.It’shardto replicate.


Williams-Guillénknewsheneededexpertguidance.So,shecontactedLaurenWilde,aspecialeffectsandmakeupartistinLosAngeles,California.Wildetooktheprintedeggsandsandedthemtomakethemsmooth.Thensheapplieddifferentcoatsofpaintandgluetogettheright color.


Fromtheoutside,thefakeeggslookalmostidenticaltorealones.You’dhaveahardtimetellingthedifferenceifsomeonehandedyouabasketwith both.

LaurenWildeinspectsoneofthefakeseaturtle eggs.

HollywoodmakeupartistLaurenWildeusespaintandglueonthefalseseaturtleeggstomakethemlookmore realistic.

Thefakeeggsarehardtospot.Onewasplacedontopofthis nest.

Butontheinside,thefakeeggispackedwithanantenna,abattery,andelectronicssimilartowhatyou’dfindinacellphone.Theseelectronicsconnecttotheinternet.Theyrevealthedateandtimethattheeggisataparticular location.


So,notonlycantheteamtracktheegg,theycanalsofigureouthowfasttheeggismoving.Thatmayhelpthemdeterminethemodeoftransportationthatisbeingusedtomovetheegg.Istheeggbeingcarriedonfoot?Drivenina vehicle?


Eachfakeeggcostsabout$40tomake.Williams-Guillénneededtomakeseveralandtesttheminthefield.Luckily,PasoPacíficowasawardedanotherprizefromtheWildlifeCrimeTechChallengetofurtherdevelopthe project.

Eachfakeeggweighsasmuchasarealegg,butitisstuffedwithatracking device.