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Predict 3D position of flying bugs and pest to shoot down them with a laser

naro.go.jp

41–50 of 124 posts

Re: Predict 3D position of flying bugs and pest to shoot down them with a laser

#41
post #2

One key thing is that flying bugs might be hiding under leaves, which doesn't even require any tracking, but matching their favorite plants... and hopefully scaring them with an optical flash so they can be tracked.

The bugs will evolve to any weak point, it happened to ford when he tried to industrialize rubber plant production:

https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/books/fordlandia-...

The bugs evolved to live under the leaves.

Re: Predict 3D position of flying bugs and pest to shoot down them with a laser

#42
post #17

Ah yes, the "star wars laser defense mosquito system". It' as impractical then (early 00's origin) as it is now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGkPMZxWPpA&t=2s (it's Dutch but you get it). Unless you can get mm accuracy and perfect non-foe detection it's useless with the multi-watt lasers generally required.

I've been dreaming about that to kill mosquitoes since I was a teenager. Then I wondered: "how to prevent firing the laser into someone's eye?" and my idea was to only shoot laser from 2 meters high and to only ever shoot towards the ceiling, never downwards, while having the ceiling having some kind of paint/material that wouldn't be reflecting the laser too much. Make the paint/material all white to makes mosquito detection easier.

And it'd be probabilistic: considering that, at some point, the mosquito is bound to fly at a height higher than 2 meters in your room. And then boom, the laser.

A pipe dream but I hate these little fuckers.

Re: Predict 3D position of flying bugs and pest to shoot down them with a laser

#43
post #34
post #17

Ah yes, the "star wars laser defense mosquito system". It' as impractical then (early 00's origin) as it is now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGkPMZxWPpA&t=2s (it's Dutch but you get it). Unless you can get mm accuracy and perfect non-foe detection it's useless with the multi-watt lasers generally required.

Thanks for sharing this, but is a comedy skit from almost two decades ago - or any time period - really a valid method of debunking potential scientific progress made within that same time period? It reminds me of when people post SNL skits as proof of why [insert person inaccurately being made fun of either in a biased or exaggerated manner for the purpose of humor] is Actually A Bad Person. I mean yeah, the technol…

[deleted]

Re: Predict 3D position of flying bugs and pest to shoot down them with a laser

#45
post #17

Ah yes, the "star wars laser defense mosquito system". It' as impractical then (early 00's origin) as it is now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGkPMZxWPpA&t=2s (it's Dutch but you get it). Unless you can get mm accuracy and perfect non-foe detection it's useless with the multi-watt lasers generally required.

I've been dreaming about that to kill mosquitoes since I was a teenager. Then I wondered: "how to prevent firing the laser into someone's eye?" and my idea was to only shoot laser from 2 meters high and to only ever shoot towards the ceiling, never downwards, while having the ceiling having some kind of paint/material that wouldn't be reflecting the laser too much. Make the paint/material all white to makes mosquito…

We use lasers in lots of consumer products, we don't really have any with exposed lasers. You just can't guarantee that someone doesn't flip a quarter and blind themselves. It's a cool idea but pretty impossible to be safe.

Re: Predict 3D position of flying bugs and pest to shoot down them with a laser

#46
post #17

Ah yes, the "star wars laser defense mosquito system". It' as impractical then (early 00's origin) as it is now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGkPMZxWPpA&t=2s (it's Dutch but you get it). Unless you can get mm accuracy and perfect non-foe detection it's useless with the multi-watt lasers generally required.

I've been dreaming about that to kill mosquitoes since I was a teenager. Then I wondered: "how to prevent firing the laser into someone's eye?" and my idea was to only shoot laser from 2 meters high and to only ever shoot towards the ceiling, never downwards, while having the ceiling having some kind of paint/material that wouldn't be reflecting the laser too much. Make the paint/material all white to makes mosquito…

You might be able to create a vortex cannon with enough shear force to rip their wings off.

Re: Predict 3D position of flying bugs and pest to shoot down them with a laser

#47
post #6

It says the prediction is accurate to 1.4cm, but it doesn’t say at what range. 1.4cm at 1km is great, but 1.4cm at 1m likely isn’t usable. I’m also curious what the failsafes are like for this - how will they prevent laser spillover or misfires from hitting eyes? Even if this is a 1 in a million chance, it likely isn’t worth it except in highly remote areas.

Why is 1.4cm at 1km great? You still missed, so it's terrible at any range.

Re: Predict 3D position of flying bugs and pest to shoot down them with a laser

#48
post #17

Ah yes, the "star wars laser defense mosquito system". It' as impractical then (early 00's origin) as it is now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGkPMZxWPpA&t=2s (it's Dutch but you get it). Unless you can get mm accuracy and perfect non-foe detection it's useless with the multi-watt lasers generally required.

It is. And if you want to go Khaby Lame all the way on this issue: Just use a fan instead.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14596273/

Re: Predict 3D position of flying bugs and pest to shoot down them with a laser

#49
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Realistic implementations use a cabinet with a generous intake and force air (and flying insects through into a controlled, confined space. After going around a corner or two, laser exposure issues are limited, and you can be close enough to aim effectively with limited optics.

Why not just use a mesh screen with a fan? Bugs generally don't fly with a lot of thrust to weight so they get trapped against the screen and die. I think NightHawkInLight has some videos about this on yt, though its definitely not some new idea.

Ya I saw this Dan Rojas video linked on HN a while back when the laser mosquito idea came up. He uses an open bottle of carbonated water to attract them to the fan/screen trap https://youtu.be/6BhV-o77RqQ

Re: Predict 3D position of flying bugs and pest to shoot down them with a laser

#50
I've heard enough parables to know how this will play out, if it does happen: lots of dead bugs on the ground, bugs that will feed another species in the food chain. The lack of mosquito population and reproduction will starve species that depend on them. That change in the dynamic will ultimately be worse for ag production...

I'm all for reducing toxic chemicals from the food supply chain and this approach looks somewhat promising. Its just difficult to predict the consequences of even an ideal outcome. That isn't to say that we shouldn't try, but maybe we could work together to mitigate such effects before mass adoption, or reframe the problem such that lasers may not be needed in the first place.

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