Smart Mosquito Trap to Automate Detection, Counting and Data Reporting for More Efficient Flying Insect Control and Disease Research

Captures Mosquitoes and Remotely Reports Population Data

This mosquito trap incorporates software and computing processors that enable detection and counting of captured insects and also establishes a communication network between traps, providing remote reporting and access to the real-time data. Mosquitoes are notorious carriers of many diseases which kill over 1 million people worldwide every year. As such, the global market for mosquito control efforts is projected to exceed $350 million by 2021. Whether for targeting the application of insecticide by mosquito control district teams, for entomological research or for disease research programs, effective mosquito monitoring involves recording accurate censuses of flying insect populations through the deployment and subsequent inspection of traps. The monitoring and maintenance of these traps is both costly and labor intensive, especially when the project includes many traps deployed in remote locations. Available mosquito trap designs do not support potential smart features such as controllable gas attractant release or identification and selective capture of a particular sex or species.

Researchers at the University of Florida have designed a smart mosquito trap capable of recording and reporting captured insect population data over a wired or wireless network to provide researchers and technicians remote accessibility. The traps are highly configurable and can integrate a range of visual, audio, or proximity sensors to enable advanced detection and identification functionality, enabling more efficient disease research and insect control.

Application

Smart mosquito trap that counts captured insect populations and transmits the data across a trap-to-trap network to increase mosquito monitoring efficiency

Advantages

• Enables insect population data recording and reporting over a multi-trap network, increasing the efficiency of mosquito monitoring
• Utilizes a flexible computing device that can integrate various attraction mechanisms and detection sensors, facilitating species-, sex-, or type-specific detection and capture
• Works with various wired and wireless protocols, simplifying implementation into local mosquito control efforts
• Allows remote control of trap functions, including gas locking and releasing or chamber emptying, saving time and effort on maintenance
• Installs underground, underwater, or floating on water, permitting mosquito control in diverse environmental settings
• Operates using a solar charging system, ensuring trap station longevity
• Supports GPS tagging, preventing potential trap theft

Technology

These mosquito traps augment traditional CDC trap designs with smart capabilities to improve mosquito monitoring for disease research and insect population control efforts. Flying insects drawn into the traps pass through a narrow, extended path, allowing various sensors to detect the captured insects by recognizing audio or visual patterns or analyzing wing-beat frequencies. A processor keeps count of the population in the basket. The computing devices integrated into the traps can establish a wired or wireless communications network between the traps, providing researchers and technicians with remote access to device data and remote control over device functionalities.