Flightsensor pseudoacoustic system for classification and counting of insect pests

Overview

This is a patented pseudoacoustic sensor system for automatic, real-time classification and counting of flying insect pests. The technology, called FlightSensor, has been field-tested for several years, with more than 1,000 deployed sensors and tens of millions of insect classifications across dozens of species—primarily agricultural pests. It has already been adapted for mosquito surveillance and is currently being extended to screwworm surveillance. Because the core sensing, signal processing, machine learning, trap design, power management, and networking challenges are solved, the platform can be generalized to other flying insect pests with relative ease and to crawling insect pests with moderate effort. That makes it a strong basis for applications ranging from crop protection to residential, commercial, and public health pest monitoring.

Technical specifications

Core capabilities:

• Patented pseudoacoustic sensing captures insect flight signatures and converts them into data suitable for automated classification.
• Custom machine learning and signal processing algorithms identify species and count individuals in real time.
• The system is designed for low-power, networked field deployment, so many sensors can operate in distributed environments.
• The platform is species-agnostic: adding a new target pest requires targeted entomology and trap adaptation rather than redesigning the hardware or analytics stack.

Applications:

• Agricultural pest monitoring and integrated pest management.
• Mosquito surveillance for disease-vector control.
• Screwworm surveillance currently in development.
• Domestic/household pest monitoring through future adaptation, including attractant-based trapping for target species.

Technology readiness level

The core FlightSensor system is beyond proof-of-concept: it has been commercially field-deployed for years, processing tens of millions of insect records from over 1,000 sensors. That gives it a high readiness level for agricultural and mosquito applications. For domestic insect pest monitoring, the next steps are early-stage: selecting one or two beachhead species, studying attractants, building and lab-testing prototypes, filing IP protection, and conducting field trials first with institutions such as restaurants and schools and later with households. The team is also exploring consumable- or subscription-based business models and partnerships with manufacturers and pest control providers.