The buzzing, biting menace that has wrecked countless grey nomad campsite evenings could have finally met its high-tech match … a mozzie-targeting laser beam zapper!
The Photon Matrix is billed as an intelligent mosquito air defence system that is powered by LiDAR detection and targeting technology. It combines AI vision, real-time tracking and precision laser elimination, to create a smarter and chemical-free solution for physical mosquito control.
Basically, LiDAR locks the mosquito’s position, the internal galvo system directs the laser, and then a straight precision beam fires at the target.
A short laser pulse disables the mosquito wings, causing the insect to fall from the sky.
Photon Matrix spokesperson, Lawrence Leng, told the GNT that grey nomads were a natural fit for the product.
The Photon Matrix uses AI vision to track mozzies and fires a laser to disable its wings. PIC: Photon Matrix
“People spending long periods outdoors in caravans and motorhomes are exactly the sort of users this product is built for,” he said.
Mr Leng said the unit covers a six-metre radius in a 90° sector — not a 360° bubble — so it’s best placed at the point where people actually sit or sleep, rather than imagining it clears an entire campsite. He said it also needs a solid background behind the scan area such as a wall, vehicle body, or vegetation.
“On an open site with nothing behind it, placement takes some thought,” he said. “Where it does work well is beside a van, under an awning, or around a seating area — the places where mosquitoes actually drive people indoors.”
So, how will the laser beam mozzie zapper fare when the tropical air is thick with the flying menaces?
Under ideal test conditions — with a sufficient density of targets continuously entering the scan area — the laser’s emission time is approximately 0.03 seconds per strike, which means it can achieve a theoretical maximum of up to 30 mosquitoes per second.
Mr Leng stresses however that this is a peak rate under ideal conditions.
“In real-world use the actual result depends on local mosquito density, flight paths and obstructions,” he said. “It’s a capability ceiling rather than a typical outcome.”
The Photon Matrix is currently in the final stage before mass production, which begins in October.
The Photon Matrix Blue Laser Mosquito Air Defense system is currently available for pre-order at US$1,088.
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