Tornyol's 40-Gram Drone Scores First Mid-Air Insect Kill as $1,100 Mosquito System Seeks Proof
Updated
Updated · Yahoo · Jul 27
Tornyol's 40-Gram Drone Scores First Mid-Air Insect Kill as $1,100 Mosquito System Seeks Proof
1 articles · Updated · Yahoo · Jul 27
Summary
Tornyol said its 40-gram autonomous drone made the first mid-air insect kill in a controlled indoor test, intercepting a moth with its propellers rather than chemicals.
A base station with 380 microphones and an Artix-7 FPGA builds a real-time 3D acoustic map, while the drone uses ultrasonic sensing to identify targets by wingbeat frequency within about 8 meters.
The demo is still a proof of concept: flight time is roughly 3 minutes per sortie with a 30-minute recharge, and battery-swapping docks are still in development.
Tornyol prices the system at $1,100 upfront or $50 a month and claims one unit can protect 5 acres, but those coverage figures have not been validated outside controlled conditions.
Founded by ex-MBDA missile engineers, the startup is pitching a public-health tool against mosquitoes, which kill about 700,000 people a year, though real-world field performance remains unproven.