DEVICE FOR INTERFERING IN THE VISUAL NAVIGATION CAPABILITY OF ORGANISMS

Abstract

A device for interfering with the optical navigation capability of an organism moving in air, comprising at least a detector, a projector and a control device connected to the detector and the projector, which is characterized in that using the detector a biological feature of an organism may be identified by way of at least a signal, wherein the control device then determines the trajectory of the organism and, in dependence on the species and trajectory of the organism, indicates a light pattern, which may be projected using the projector.

Claims

1. A device for interfering with the optical navigation capability of an organism moving in air, comprising at least a detector, a projector, and a control device connected to the detector and the projector, wherein the detector is configured to identify a biological feature of an organism by way of at least a signal, wherein the control device then determines the trajectory of the organism and, in dependence on the species and trajectory of the organism, indicates a light pattern, which may be projected using the projector.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one detector comprises an acoustic detector.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one detector comprises an optical detector.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the projector projects a static light pattern.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the projector projects a species-specific and adaptive light pattern.

6. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an optical beam divider.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein downstream of the optical beam divider one beam path ends on the image sensor, and the other beam path ends on the imaging surface.

8. A method for interfering with the trajectory of at least one organism present in air using a device according to claim 1, comprises the following steps: i) detecting a biological feature of the at least one organism, ii) in dependence on the result in step i), detecting the trajectory of the at least one organism, iii) interfering with the trajectory of the at least one organism by means of projected light patterns, and iv) repeating steps i)-iii).

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the trajectory of the at least one organism is interfered with by means of static light pattern projections.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the trajectory of the at least one organism is interfered with depending on the biological feature by way of species-specific dynamic light patterns.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the trajectory is detected until the halt of the at least one organism, wherein immediately after the halt there is projected a static light circle onto the organism and it is thus fixed in its residing position.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein information on the number of the detected organisms present in air as well as of the biological features thereof are displayed via an output device.

13. A method according to claim 8, wherein the organisms are collected in a non-destructive way.

14. A device according to claim 2, wherein the acoustic detector comprises at least one sensitive stereo microphone.

15. A device according to claim 3, wherein the optical detector comprises at least one camera.

16. A device according to claim 6, wherein the projection and detection optics are combined by means of the optical beam divider.

17. A device according to claim 7, wherein the image sensor comprises a CMOS, and the imaging surface comprises a DLP chip.

18. A method according to claim 9, wherein the static light pattern projections are mechanically movable.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0044] In order to more clearly illustrate the invention, the essential features are displayed by way of preferred embodiments of the inventive method and the inventive device in the following figures.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows the set-up of a housing of an inventive device.

[0046] FIG. 2a shows a set-up of the projection and detection optics.

[0047] FIG. 2b shows an alternative set-up of the projection and detection optics.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows the set-up of the projection objective.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows four examples of freeze images of dynamic patterns.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows the set-up of a projector for static patterns.

[0051] FIG. 6 shows three examples of different pattern disks for the projection of static image patterns.

[0052] In FIG. 1 there is shown the housing of an inventive device with the components attached to the housing. On the front surface of the housing there is situated the objective (2) as well as the microphones (1). On a lateral surface of the housing there are switch key PO/Reset (2), an USB I/O module and a voltage supply (4) as well as a network terminal (5). In addition, the device may have also an internal radio interface for connection with, for example, a WLAN. Furthermore, the housing has on two opposite surfaces a tripod thread (6), whereby attachment of the housing at a tripod is made possible. The compact housing may be attached at the ceiling as well as on a dresser by way of a common photo tripod.

[0053] When using an optical detector in a housing, the detection and projection optics may be combined in a beam path by way of an optical beam divider. FIG. 2a shows an exemplary embodiment of the optical set-up of the components of the optics used in the housing. The optical beam divider corresponds in FIG. 2a a TIR (Total Internal Reflection) prism (14), wherein one beam path ends on a CMOS- or CCD Sensor (13) and one beam path ends on a DLP (DMD) chip (12). The DLP chip (12) is illuminated by LED arrays (7) having different wavelengths per array via the DLP illumination path. By means of collimator lenses (9) arranged behind the LED arrays (7) and two dichroic filters (8) the light generated by the LED arrays (7) is focused in the DLP illumination path (characterized by the brace) and combined in a common light path. A condenser lens (10) focusses the filtered light further onto an optical integrator (11). Then the light enters the TIR prism (14), where it is reflected back to the DLP chip (12) and may again pass through the TIR prism (14) into the projection lens, which projects the desired pattern into the monitored space.

[0054] An alternative optical set-up provides for the division of the beam path only by way of mirrors and filters. As depicted in FIG. 2b, the DLP chip (12) and the CMOS or CCD sensor (13) are for this purpose arranged next to one another. The DLP chip (12) in turn is illuminated via the DLP illumination path (19) depicted in FIG. 2a. In the centre of the beam path, there are situated two mirrors (18) as well as two dichroic filters (8), which in this set-up assume the task of the TIR prism (14) of FIG. 2a. In addition, upstream and downstream of the mirrors (18) and filters (8) there is situated respectively one focusing lens (3). The light enters from the DLP chip (12) into the projection lens (15) via an aperture (16).

[0055] FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of a projection objective having a housing (21) and a lens assembly (20).

[0056] Examples of projected dynamic light patterns are depicted in FIG. 4. In this context, each of the four patterns corresponds to the frozen image of a dynamic pattern, which is projected into the monitored space.

[0057] A device according to the invention, however, does not only allow for the use of dynamic patterns, but also static patterns may be used and mechanically moved by way of the projector. FIG. 5 shows as an example an embodiment variant of such a projector. The Gobo projector depicted in FIG. 5 includes in its housing (27) at least one Gobo wheel (22), which may be rotated via a motor (23). The light in turn comes from an LED array (1) and is parallelized via a honeycomb light former (24) before impacting on the Gobo wheel (22). Behind the Gobo wheel (22) there is a focusing lens (3) as well as a zoom lens (25), which projects the pattern (26) of the Gobo wheel (22) into the monitored space. FIG. 6 shows three examples of patterns of the Gobo wheel.

[0058] In an embodiment variant the invention generates a moving pattern of, for example, dots, ovals, lines or circles using light of various wavelengths (e.g. LEDs or lasers of various wavelengths—UV to remote infrared). The movement of the light patterns is interpreted by the organism as a trajectory deviation and compensated for by the flight stabilizing circuits. By interfering with its trajectory, the organism is mis-routed, whereby the prey will not be found. In an embodiment variant the “deviation” of the organism may lure it into a vacuum-based trap in order to ultimately remove the animal from the monitored space. Alternatively, the system may also register and optically mark the flight end points of the organisms or over-modulate the organisms through light in a sensory way, respectively, in order to complicate an escape or to facilitate capturing and killing these. The invention shall be able to project species-specific patterns by means of imaging hardware (for example the DLP projector in FIGS. 2a and 2b) such that it can deflect various species. Further sensors (camera and sensitive stereo microphones) enable a coarse registration of the special spectrum by generating a species-specific “fingerprint” from appearance, flight dynamics, spectroscopy and acoustics. In the context of a connection of the devices at various locations (national and international), there may be enabled, for example, insect monitoring.

[0059] The possibility of connecting the devices allows for a sustainable data collection for distribution (monitoring), which improves the efficiency of the device and also enables prognoses and research by way of big data analysis.

[0060] A major advantage of the invention is that the device is comfortably and easily to attach, requires little space and does not constitute comfort limitation in regard to any other physical protective methods. It is free of any poisons and odours in comparison to chemical methods.

[0061] Adaption to and loss of effectiveness resulting therefrom are not to be expected. The typical market are all countries, in which there is present harassment and a health hazard by insects (in particular mosquitos), and thus is—on a global level—very large and steadily increasing due to global warming and the distribution of heat seeking insects resulting therefrom. Current studies in Tyrol show, for example, the appearance of the tiger mosquito, which has gained recognition due to the transfer of the Zika virus in the preceding years. Furthermore, the use of low-cost components and the operation using solar energy or a rechargeable battery attachable at the housing in a modular way, respectively, have been possible. For this reason, this device would be attractive also for outdoor and camping fans.