There’s an extremely popular new crowdfunding campaign that promises an all-in-one portable laser-driven mosquito killing machine for as little as $498. Jim Wong has set up an IndieGogo page for the “World's First Portable Mosquito Air Defense,” dubbed the Photonmatrix.
Key attractions of the Photonmatrix are its LiDAR scanner combined with a galvanometer-directed laser that can seek and destroy mosquitoes at a rate of up to 30 pests per second. Moreover, this miniature Star Wars mosquito defense works in the dark, has a radius of up to 6m (19.7 ft), and can be smartphone power bank powered for up to 16 hours.
Wong’s laser-based mosquito-neutralizing product comes in two editions. The big difference between the Basic and Pro editions of the device is that the Basic model has a smaller active radius of 3m (9.8ft) max, which is doubled with the Pro edition to a 6m (19.7 ft) radius no-mozzy zone.
There’s also a significant price premium on the Pro version. If the extra radius is appealing to your planned deployment, it will cost you another $200. In other words, the crowdfunding backer price for the Photonmatrix Pro is $698.
While we are talking pricing, the above-mentioned $498 (Basic) and $698 (Pro) prices are standard for the duration of this IndieGogo project. However, there are still ‘seats’ for Basic-Earlybird backers, which can save you $40 off the Basic price. The project page asserts that Basic and Pro products will rise to $698 and $898, respectively, after the crowdfunding campaign is over.
Standard equipment coming to backers of the project includes the Lidar/laser unit in Basic or Pro power configs, a locator base, a bracket, a power brick, and a 2m DC connector cable. Optional extras include a rotating base, power banks of various capacities, and an adaptor to convert smartphone power banks to the required 24V.
Wong says a Photonmatrix can run for up to 16 hours with a 39,200mAh brick. Wong sells battery bundles for this IP68-rated laser bug-killing solution for up to $98. But we note that the adaptor dongle to use your own power bank is a modest $10.
Not the first bug locator / zapper of its kind
Mosquitoes have had a surprisingly large role in human misery throughout our history, perhaps only rivalled by other humans. Thus, it is understandable that projects like this are popular. We previously reported on a Raspberry Pi-powered locator and zapper device (2021) that was claimed to do a similar job for those wishing to make one for themselves.
We also saw a detection-only device that highlights mosquitoes lurking in your environment using a visible laser dot, back in 2023. The Bzigo Iris device is now readily available and much cheaper, currently $199. It could be a good solution for indoors, where only a few mosquitoes usually get through to your living space, if you are handy with an electrified swatter. It comes with a handy app, too.
Safety first
On the crowdfunding pages, Wong asserts that the Photonmatrix has been built with full consideration of safety for humans and pets, and that it “prioritizes safety as its core feature, it is safe enough and will not harm people, pets or even distant birds, etc.” Lots of medium/slow flying pests will be controlled by this device, but it isn’t going to be 100% against common houseflies, as they can go faster (over 1m/s).
As someone who spends time in regions where mosquitoes are a common problem, I also wonder about the safety of my TV screen. It isn’t mentioned in the FAQ or elsewhere, but I wonder if the killer laser might damage the screen if a mozzy settles on it and meets its smoky end there.
We hope the app will enable no-kill zones, like security camera apps let you create no-trigger zones. Another potential app feature is a mosquito-killing leaderboard, according to Q&A discussions.
Funding goal was $20,000, now exceeded by 1,300%
This is Wong’s first and only crowdfunder – so the usual precautions apply, perhaps more so here, despite what should be more than adequate funding levels. So far, Wong’s product is at the “successfully developed a prototype of the first mosquito air defense system capable of identifying and neutralizing mosquitoes using high-specification lidar technology” stage. There is no doubt that quite a few hurdles remain to commercial production at the touted prices.
Remember that crowdfunding a project is not a guarantee of receiving a finished product. Backing a crowdfunded project is akin to an investment; you believe in the project and want it to succeed. You are not purchasing a retail product.
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