ASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) engineers and an Arkansas inventor are targeting
the mosquito.
Volume 5, Number 1 January/February 1997
Technology Transfer
ASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) engineers and an Arkansas inventor are targeting
the mosquito.
After inventor Alvin Wilbanks of Environmental Products and Research, Inc. formally submitted a request for technology assistance to the Technology Transfer Office, MSFC Structure and Dynamics Laboratory engineers suggested a number of improvements to cut costs and improve efficiency that the firm adopted. MSFC also referred Wilbanks to a non-profit agency that helped him rapidly produce molds used to manufacture the new product's base and top structures.
The Mosquito Killing System (MKS) attracts mosquitos over a one-acre area. It relies on the insect's natural ability to sense heat and breathing to find its prey. The patented device uses a heat source to provide an image to attract the insects and gentle air currents that simulate breathing. A pheromone attractant lures the mosquitos into the device. The mosquitos are electrocuted once inside the device's killing zone.
MKS safety features include secure mounting points and a tip-over safety switch. It also has an energy-conserving photoelectric cell to activate the machine at dusk and turn it off at dawn. The device should cost about $6 per month to operate using 110-volt alternating current and the energy-saving photoelectric feature. The self-cleaning device is environmentally friendly because it uses no chemicals to destroy the pests.
The company expects the MKS to be available to consumers in May. The firm estimates that municipalities could recoup their costs in five years because they may eliminate mosquito spraying during the summer.
For more information about MKS, 
contact Alvin Wilbanks of Environmental Products and Research. Call 501/531-2159.
For more information about technical assistance through MSFC, Call 800/USA-NASA.
Please mention that you read about it in Innovation.
