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Wireless Sensor Networks for Killing Mosquitoes

Posted by samzenpus on from the raise-the-bug-shields dept.

aaditeshwar writes "It looks like sensor networks have some applications afterall, other than the usual stuff for defense and US military! AmBio has created a wireless mesh network of bugspraying "magnets" that report back data on the temperature, air conditions, and wind directions, and a central controller uses this data to turn ON or OFF the magnets in different areas. They plan to cover entire cities with such wireless meshes, and create an anti-mosquito shield around the city!"

4 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. Can the 3rd World afford it? by MosesJones · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is a great application, and one which probably has the largest benefits for the 3rd World and developing world. As with drugs however the issue is going to be the cost to those countries of deploying it (and having the reliable power network to support it).

    How long before its cheap enough to not just be about making people in Florida feel more comfortable living in a swamp?

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  2. Now I just need a really long extension cord... by jimmyhat3939 · · Score: 4, Interesting
    This sounds like it would work great for golf courses and country clubs (one of the sites mentioned in the article).

    However... they tout this as being great for third-world countries where malaria is prevalent. I'm sure this is the angle they'll use to get major media, since people ultimately aren't that drawn to devices that make live even easier for the country-club set.

    According to the article, you need both a 20-pound tank of propane and access to a nearby power outlet to make the machine work, not to mention wifi for the fancier parts of it. Seems like this could be a bit of a stretch in places like Central America and Africa where they're lucky to have running water and decent sanitation facilities. Maybe a better version of device could use the propane to power the unit, so that you don't need that power cord?

    Or else, I suppose they could just use the equivalent of the "Mexican National Extension Cord" to run the things.
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  3. Re:Bats by MichaelSmith · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Bats eat a lot of bugs.

    So do fish. When I installed a pond in my front garden the mozzie population exploded overnight. The Mosquito lavae were breeding in the pond.

    So I put fish in the pond. The fish got bigger and the mozzies almost disapeared.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  4. Re:Fighting malaria by kellar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    at the moment, the best defence against malaria in [south] africa seems to be revisiting DDT.

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    k e l l a r