Necessity is the mother of invention, as the old saying goes, and one Ladner, B.C. dad has come up with innovative ways to make trick-or-treating during the COVID-19 pandemic as safe as possible.
Matt Reed has been building DIY creations in his garage that involve PVC pipe, a 3D printer, some duct tape and a little ingenuity.
Among his creations is an automated candy dispenser that shoots treats out of the mouth of a dragon. Another dispenser consists of an elephant that shoots candy out of its trunk.
“They both use the same drive mechanism, which is an auger that pushes the candy out,” Reed said. “So that, 3D printing and then lots of duct tape, a little bit of welding and then I build my own electrical circuits.”
Calling himself the Redneck Engineer, as he is not a certified engineer, Reed has posted videos of his creations on YouTube.
Reed said he wants to show people that with a little creativity, people can maintain some normalcy this Halloween by celebrating at a safe distance.
“You can still do these things and there are smart ways to do it,” he said. “You just have to invest a little bit… into it and you can make it happen.
Reed has also created an online map of households that are following the BC Centre for Disease Control’s safe trick-or-treating guidelines.