As Florida continues to face one of its worst dengue outbreaks in nearly a century, a mosquito trap created by USF startup Digitomy is helping curb the spread of the virus and other mosquito-borne diseases. The smart trap contains patented AI technology and has achieved more than 98% accuracy in identifying mosquito species during laboratory testing.
Research behind Digitomy has been underway at USF since 2018. The technology, created by Associate Professor Ryan Carney and Professor Sriram Chellappan, uses artificial intelligence to identify mosquito species, gender and whether they have fed on blood. Paired with cloud computing and a mapping dashboard, the system aims to help public health officials track disease-carrying mosquitoes for more timely, targeted control.
“The mosquito is the deadliest animal on the planet. While there are 3,500 mosquito species, it’s primarily only one, Aedes aegypti, that is spreading dengue in Florida. We can use the data from our smart traps to construct a habitat model, as well as to monitor the species’ presence and abundance in real time, to strategically mitigate its spread,” said Carney.
Creating an effective trap
Digitomy’s trap works when hung on a low tree branch or placed on the ground. Either a light or bait at the top can be used to attract mosquitoes, while a fan draws them inside. Once captured on a sticky pad, two built-in cameras photograph the insects, allowing the AI technology to identify their species using a vast database of mosquito images…