A Y Combinator-backed startup, Tornyol, has developed an artificial intelligence-powered micro-drone designed to track and eliminate flying insects, including mosquitoes, in mid-air.
Tornyol said in an official statement that the technology could cut the cost of mosquito eradication by up to 100 times compared to existing methods.
Engineers at Tornyol have spent months developing the compact drones, which aim to hunt mosquitoes directly in urban areas instead of relying on chemical sprays or other costly and environmentally damaging control methods.
On July 14, Tornyol co-founder Alex Toussaint released a video showing the micro-drone intercepting a flying insect for the first time. The footage shows the drone chasing a moth through the air before bringing it down.
Although the insect used in the test was not a mosquito and the trial was conducted in a confined space, engineers described the demonstration as a major step toward building drones capable of accurately identifying and eliminating mosquitoes in open air.
The drone works by emitting ultrasonic waves and analyzing the echoes that bounce back through an array of onboard microphones. Since a mosquitos wingbeats produce a distinct Doppler signature, the system is designed to distinguish mosquitoes from other flying insects.
Tornyol co-founders Alex Toussaint and Clovis Piedallu said their long-term goal is to deploy swarms of the micro-drones capable of clearing entire urban areas of mosquitoes.
Experts say that if the technology proves viable at scale, it could mark a significant advance in the fight against dengue, malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. They caution, however, that further research and real-world testing are still needed before the drones can be deployed safely and effectively on a large scale.
