A new AI-powered laser system has been developed specifically to kill cockroaches.
(Photo : Photo credit should read WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images)
This picture taken on March 25, 2019 shows a cockroach at a roach farm in Yibin, China's southwestern Sichuan province. - As farmer Li Bingcai opened the door to his cockroach farm in southwest China, an insect the size of a dart flew into his face. Picking the critter off his forehead.
If this turret-based technology is proven effective, then it could definitely help prevent these pests from overpopulating.
However, is it really safe for public use?
Ildar Rakhmatulin, a research associate at the Heriot-Watt University in the U.K., led the new study titled "Selective neutralization and deterring of cockroaches with laser automated by machine vision."
He and his colleagues published their new research in the Oriental Insects journal on Sept. 21.
New AI-Powered Laser System as Cockroach Pest Control!
According to Interesting Engineering's latest report, the new turret-based laser system can take people's cockroach pest problems.
(Photo : Photo credit should read ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)
A picture taken on March 29, 2018 shows cockroaches locked in a container at the laboratory of the centre of research on infectious diseases of the University Hospital Institute (IHU) Mediterranean Infection, in Marseille. Marseille has inaugurated a research centre on infectious diseases, complete with insect breeding.
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Rakhmatulin said that they used a small computer developed by NVIDIA called Jetson Nano. This tech allowed them to try different applications via multiple neural networks.
These include speech processing, image classification, and object detection. On the other hand, Ildar connected two cameras and a galvanometer to their Jetson Nano.
Since they have complete control over their AI-based laser tech, he and his team can adjust the power settings of their turret-based system.
Lower power levels could trigger the flight response of cockroaches, preventing them from sheltering in one area. On the other hand, higher power levels can kill these insects.
Is It Safe for Public Use
The new anti-cockroach of Rakhmatulin and his colleagues still need further observations if they want to mass produce their AI-based laser system.
On the other hand, the lead researcher said they only used cheap hardware and other components to develop their cockroach-killing turret.
This means that there's a chance it can malfunction if not used properly.
"If it can damage cockroaches, it can also damage other pests in agriculture," said Ildar via The Vice.
In other stories, scientists claimed that a super-intelligent AI could become uncontrollable.
Meanwhile, 36% of AI experts said that artificial intelligence could cause nuclear war-like catastrophic events.
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Written by Griffin Davis
