Drone packing a shortwave infrared camera to find the pools where larvae are

Mosquitoes are a big problem that plagues the world.  We have recently seen a sticker that will render the wearer invisible to mosquitoes.  Now, Florida, the paradise of marshy wetlands i.e. mosquito breeding grounds, is gearing up for an experiment involving aerial drones to fight mosquitoes.

.

 

 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkTlTZPM6q8[/youtube]

The major issue with mosquito eradication is two-fold. First, the sheer number of the insects is overwhelming. Secondly, they breed pretty much anywhere there’s shallow water. A swampy state like Florida, which comes with a side of warm climate, is like a college bar on free drinks night. As a result, larvae are everywhere. The best way to eradicate them is to destroy the actual larvae, before they’ve got pairs of working wings.

So the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District plans to use a Maveric drone (built by Condor Aerial) packing a shortwave infrared camera to find the pools where larvae are probably getting their nutrients to grow up to be big bad bloodsuckers, just like their parents.

At the moment, the drone, which was created for military use/law enforcement, will just be equipped with a camera. The actual destruction of the larvae comes later, but a future of weapon-wielding drones charged with destroying mosquitoes is sounding less and less like a fictional one.

The experiment will take place later this month.

Via Dvice