This device was created to allow for student experiments to study fly ambulation (walking) in a controlled space. There are 6 troughs and the flies move inside the tunnels created by the plastic body and affixed plexiglass top. They always move upwards so this can be thought of as an upside down hour glass. Students turn over the whole device for the next trial. The plan is for students to record video of the experiment for analysis, and the plastic is thin enough to allow for backlighting if desired.

This was designed to fit on a 3D printer with a 200mm bed but can be scaled in the source file (SketchUp).

Printed in PLA for accuracy and minimizing warping along with 2 shells and 25% in-fill. No support is needed, but there is intentional support strands and cross pieces underneath the main body that should be removed after printing.

For each device, one needs to print out 4 magnet holders, one body, and two bases (the STL already has two bases in it). Further, we used 4 1/4"x1/4" cylinder neodymium magnets inside the body, and we glued 4 1/4"x1/8" cylinder neodymium magnets inside the magnet holders and the magnet holders to the plexiglass.

The plexiglass was cut to approximately 90x134mm and is 2.3mm thick, Optix grade.