Washington: US technology startup Tornivol has unveiled a new generation of AI-powered micro drones capable of tracking and eliminating mosquitoes and other tiny flying insects while in flight, claiming the technology could provide a cost-effective solution for mosquito control.

Backed by Y Combinator, the company says its long-term goal is to reduce the cost of mosquito eradication by nearly 100 times compared with existing methods. Swarms of autonomous micro drones would patrol urban areas, detect mosquitoes, and eliminate them, reducing the need for chemical sprays and other costly or potentially harmful pest-control techniques.

On July 14, Tornivol co-founder Alex Toussaint released a demonstration video showing one of the company's micro drones pursuing and successfully striking a moth in a controlled testing environment. Although the experiment involved a moth rather than a mosquito and was conducted under laboratory conditions, the company described it as an important milestone in developing the technology.

According to Tornivol, each proposed drone will weigh just 40 grams and will be equipped with smartphone-grade microphones, ultrasonic sensors, and advanced AI software. The drones will emit ultrasonic waves and analyze the returning echoes to detect nearby insects.

The company says the system can also distinguish mosquitoes from other flying insects by analyzing the unique Doppler signature produced by the rapid movement of mosquito wings, allowing the drones to identify their targets with greater accuracy.

Engineers Alex Toussaint and Clovis Pedalo believe that future swarms of these lightweight drones could be deployed across major cities to help control mosquito populations. They estimate that as few as 10 micro drones could effectively reduce the number of blood-feeding mosquitoes within an area of one square kilometer, potentially contributing to improved public health and reducing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.