The Beijing Institute of Technology has been developing radar technology that would allow them to detect the flap of a mosquito wing from over a mile away. Mosquito’s are considered the world deadliest insect because they carry fatal diseases like Malaria and Zika. Mosquito are responsible for about 1 million deaths per year according to the world health organization. The team received over 82 million yuan in funding, which equates to about 12.9 million USD.
The purpose of the sensitive radar system is to snuff out colonies of mosquitoes but some of its capabilities are far more impressive. This technology has the capability to identify the species, flying speed, direction, and gender of a mosquito as well as whether it has eaten or not. By teaming up with insect experts, the group is able to find ways to combat the spread of diseases like malaria. The vast quantity of data collected from the machine is useful to insect behavior researchers as well.
It does not come without challenges though. Mosquito wings are much harder to detect than a jet plane for obvious reasons. Mosquitoes fly at low speeds which makes it hard for radars designed to detect fast moving objects to spot. The biggest issue is the radio waves, which are very weak and can be interrupted by background interference.
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2137051/how-china-using-military-radar-technology-wage-war-mosquitoes
It’s crazy how technology has developed over the years- mosquitos are extremely small insects, and for a piece of technology to track them, is wild for me to think about. One of the first tracking technologies that is similar to this was a radar used for tracking planes during WWII. This is where the idea for tracking people and objects began; in 1939 at the start of the war, radar stations were set up by the British and used as a defence aid. This system was set up along the southern coast of England and it was known as the Chain Home. Now there are radar-like technologies everywhere- they’re in our computers, phones, Alexa’s and more. What started out as a GPS navigation system turned into so much more. People are very skeptical about the idea of this, yet these technologies are becoming a larger and larger part of our everyday lives, and this idea of tracking is becoming more normalized. Although humans being tracked by our devices has a negative stigma, tracking down mosquitos to help prevent diseases is definitely something that could be beneficial for people in mosquito infested areas. The only thing that I question is if this technology could end up hurting the environment. If this technology ends up wiping out the mosquito population, it could affect the circle of life. Typically when a species becomes extinct, it affects the environment around them, along with other plants, animals, and insects. It will be interesting to see if this radar technology actually works, if it will help prevent diseases like Malaria, and if it will have an effect on the environment.
-Chloe Salvato
https://planefinder.net/about/the-history-of-flight-radar/