The laser ‘iron dome’ for mosquitoes became a viral hit

The very idea of ​​a “personal anti-aircraft system” for insects caused an avalanche of enthusiastic comments. Users competed to see who would offer the most for the device, not asking for the price.

​- How much does it cost? – read the most popular comment, to which the answer immediately arrived:

​- Who cares? Here’s my credit card!

Others were ready to go on and on, so one user wrote: “Whatever, here is the title deed of my soul.” When there was a discussion about the actual price, which, depending on the model, ranges from approximately 470 to 660 euros, many concluded that it was a small price for quiet summer evenings. “I’ll pay my entire retirement savings for this,” concluded one commenter, while others were more concerned. planned to install more devices around the house to create an impenetrable “iron dome” against mosquitoes.

Skepticism and security issues

However, not everyone was ready to reach for the money right away. Part of the community expressed a healthy dose of skepticism, recalling that they approached laser mosquito killers several times. about fifteen years.

​- I’ll treat this as the same old with incremental improvements until I see 3rd party testing, security certifications and actual kill rate data, not promo shots – wrote one wary user.

The biggest concerns, however, concerned safety and collateral damage. “What else kills besides mosquitoes?”, “How does one prevent a stray ray from blinding someone permanently?” and “Will it darken all flying insects?” were just some of the questions. According to the manufacturer’s specifications, the device uses a millimeter radar to detect larger objects such as people and pets, and in this case it is turned off immediately. Also, the system will reportedly be able to analyze the size, distance and orientation of the target in just three milliseconds to distinguish mosquitoes from, for example, beneficial insects such as bees.

From summer salvation to the weapon of the future

The discussion inevitably turned into darker, dystopian waters. Many saw in this device the beginning of future autonomous armed systems.

​- Cool. The next generation will be able to recognize and identify people. This is the future of warfare – pointed out one commentator.

Others followed up with dark humor: “Photonmatrix, put a new target on human eyes.” One user also offered the frightening logic of artificial intelligence: “Or the program will realize that mosquitoes only come because of humans. Eliminate humans and all mosquitoes will disappear. Directive executed.”

This technology comes at a time of increased warnings about mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, which is regularly reported by [Panamerička zdravstvena organizacija (PAHO)](https://www.paho.org). Although the Photonmatrix seems like a futuristic sci-fi solution, a discussion on Reddit shows that humanity is divided between vast factions to deal with an ancient threat and fear of technology that we may not yet be ready to control.