In the US, a drone that hunts mosquitoes was developed
Engineers at the startup Tornyol have created a mosquito-killing drone. The drone automatically detects insects by sound and destroys them with its blades.
Tornyol, a startup that has received private funding from, among others, Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin, has developed mosquito-killing drones. This was reported by Y Combinator, citing a demonstration video published by the company.
Mosquitoes cause hundreds of thousands of deaths annually due to the spread of malaria and dengue fever. The new technology offers pest control at a cost 100 times lower than traditional insecticide-based methods.
The lightweight, 40-gram drones autonomously patrol areas, detecting mosquitoes using echolocation. A phased array antenna and an ultrasonic transmitter, similar to those used in car parking systems, identify the insect's species and gender based on its wingbeat spectrogram. Propellers are used for destruction, eliminating the need for chemicals.
The developers claim that the maneuvering algorithm prevents collisions with obstacles and ensures selectivity—the system does not harm beneficial insects. The patented recognition technology is based on Doppler analysis. The solution's infrastructure includes a charging and coordination station: ten drones can clear an area of one square kilometer of mosquitoes.
The startup has already conducted simulation tests and offers early adopters a $100 upfront payment to receive the system as a $50 per month subscription.
