The 'Buzzing' Mosquito Disturbing Sleep... Located and Caught with Laser Technology

Commercialization 4 Years After Prototype Release
Price $339... Eradication Is Up to People

A device that shoots a laser at mosquitoes entering a room to inform the homeowner of their location has been introduced. People only need to catch the mosquito where the laser points.

Israeli company Vizago has launched a mosquito detection device called Iris. The Iris prototype was first showcased at CES, the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition, in 2020. Vizago has since improved the technology's maturity and released a commercial product after four years.

Mosquito detection device 'Iris' released by Bijigo [Photo by Bijigo website]

The cuboid-shaped Iris measures 8 cm in width and 6 cm in height, roughly the size of a baseball. It weighs only 300 grams.

Iris can instantly identify mosquitoes entering a room, whether day or night. Using a wide-angle camera and infrared detection device, it continuously scans the interior from one side of the room and detects objects exhibiting flight patterns similar to mosquitoes.

When a mosquito is detected, a laser beam is directed at it to mark its location. However, for safety reasons, a low-output laser is used, so it does not directly attack the mosquito.

When Iris sends information via Wi-Fi to the homeowner's smartphone indicating "there is a mosquito," the homeowner can then deal with the mosquito. Since mosquitoes fly slower than other insects, catching them once located is not difficult.

Using Iris eliminates the need to wander around the house not knowing where the mosquito is. Vizago explained, "Iris operates on electricity" and "it is intended to be kept on 24 hours a day." Iris is priced at $339 (approximately 460,000 KRW) and can be purchased on Vizago's website.

Meanwhile, mosquito repellents commonly used in Korea include suction-type and electric shock-type devices. The suction-type lures and traps mosquitoes. The electric shock-type attracts flying insects with wavelengths harmless to humans and then eliminates them with an electric shock. Recently, mosquito repellents combining both suction and electric shock methods have been sold.