No Insecticides: The 40-Gram Micro Drone That Hunts Mosquitoes in Flight

Tornyol has developed a project that seems straight out of a science fiction story: a 40-gram micro-drone capable of detecting a flying mosquito and taking it down without a drop of insecticide. The startup, incubated by Y Combinator, started with a regular toy drone to transform it into an autonomous hunter guided by ultrasound.

The operational principle recalls the parking sensors of cars. Each drone is equipped with an ultrasonic transmitter, similar to the HC-SR04 modules used with Arduino, that emits pulses into the surrounding air. The returning echoes are captured by an array of microphones, the same kind of components found in smartphones, and transformed into a unique spectrogram for each intercepted insect.

The most interesting part concerns the classification of the target. The system analyzes the Doppler effect generated by the flapping wings, an irregular pattern that theoretically allows for the distinction not only of the insect species but also its gender. A miniaturized DSP processor then manages the tracking phase, calculating the interception route and avoiding obstacles along the way.

The drone does not operate alone: a base station takes care of recharging and coordinating, with the stated goal of patrolling a home garden 24 hours a day. According to the founders' calculations, ten drones would be enough to clear an area of one square kilometer of mosquitoes, with a cost reduction of 100 times compared to traditional control methods.

Leading the project are Alex Toussaint, with a background in ultrasonic arrays and guidance and control systems developed at MBDA, and Clovis Piedallu. Reservations for the product are already open with a refundable deposit of $100, followed by a monthly subscription of $50. Those who book first will receive a 30% discount and limited-edition colorings.

It is not so certain that this technology is ready for the real market yet. By the team's own admission, many of the subsystems still operate in isolation, and the extermination tests have so far mostly been conducted in simulation, not in actual gardens with wind, obstacles, and insects different from mosquitoes that could confuse the sensors. The leap from a lab prototype to a device that patrols a yard unsupervised is anything but guaranteed, and the costs of a monthly subscription per drone will need to be compared with much cheaper solutions like mosquito nets and repellents.