Even though we may not yet have robot butlers, flying cars, or food replicators a la Star Trek, you can now order a futuristic device that feels very much like something from science fiction: the Photon Matrix. Using lasers and state-of-the-art tracking technology, this Chinese-designed gadget, which is presently being crowdfunded on Indiegogo, claims to track and zap bothersome mosquitoes in midair.
The Photon Matrix measures the distance, orientation, and body size of mosquitoes in just 3 milliseconds by using a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) module. It accomplishes this by launching pulses of laser light and timing their return. A second laser, directed by a galvanometer, immediately kills a mosquito once it has been located.
However, don’t expect this to work on faster insects like houseflies, as mosquitoes must fly slower than 1 metre per second in order to be detected. The Pro Version doubles the scanning and zapping range to 6 meters from the Basic Edition’s 90-degree, 3-meter range. Even in complete darkness, both are said to be able to kill up to 30 mosquitoes per second.
Any laser device must be safe, and the Photon Matrix uses millimeter-wave radar to identify people and pets to avoid unintentional zapping. Depending on the model, it can run for up to 16 hours on a rechargeable power bank or plug into a wall outlet.
Laser mosquito defence is not a novel idea. At a Gates Foundation meeting on malaria in 2007, astrophysicist Lowell Wood put forth a similar concept. Although early prototypes that used printer and cell phone parts showed promise, they were not safe for human eyes. Although specifics are still unknown, the Photon Matrix team now asserts that required safety certifications are integrated.
Note that there is no company name attached, as this is the first Indiegogo campaign created by Changzhou native Jim Wong. A Basic Edition is available for $468 with a pledge, while the Pro Version costs $629; retail prices will be higher. Since the Photon Matrix is still a prototype, you might want to look into the $339 Bzigo Iris, which uses a laser to detect mosquitoes but lets you do the swatting.
