The Chinese laser that promises to eliminate mosquitoes in rapid bursts

A Chinese start-up, Photon Matrix Lab, based in Changzhou, in Jiangsu province, has developed a device meant to eliminate mosquitoes with a laser, without using chemicals. The product, called Photon Matrix, is said by the company to be able to detect and hit up to thirty mosquitoes per second.

The project has raised 2.7 million dollars on Indiegogo, far beyond the initial goal of twenty thousand dollars, and has attracted more than four thousand backers from over fifty countries.

The system relies on a LiDAR sensor that scans the surrounding area and calculates the position, distance, angle and size of detected objects. According to the company, the system recognises a mosquito within three milliseconds; a second laser beam is then meant to eliminate it in flight. The software is programmed not to fire when people, pets or other larger objects appear along the trajectory. The targeting speed is capped at about one metre per second: enough to track mosquitoes, but according to the designers too slow to target faster insects such as flies.

Two versions are planned. The base model covers a radius of about three metres with a ninety-degree scanning angle; the Pro version reaches six metres. Both are said to be waterproof, usable indoors and outdoors, and powered by a power bank. During the crowdfunding campaign, the promotional price was 468 dollars for the base model and 668 dollars for the Pro version.

The company attributes the project's feasibility to Changzhou's manufacturing network, where suppliers of lasers, sensors and electronic components can build complex prototypes in a short time.

Certifications and tests still pending

Mass production, initially planned for early summer, has been postponed to August because of difficulties in calibrating the sensors. Before reaching the market, the device will still need to obtain safety certifications such as CE marking in Europe and pass the procedures required in the United States for consumer laser products.

At present, no independent tests have confirmed the detection speed, the accuracy of the shots or the reliability of the systems meant to avoid hitting people or animals. Photon Matrix therefore remains a project in development, whose announced performance has not yet been verified in practice.