MACHINE FOR CAPTURING, COUNTING AND MONITORING INSECTS

Abstract

The present invention relates to an equipment for attracting, capturing, counting and monitoring flying insects of all species and is particularly applicable to those which cause damage to agricultural crops and are considered to be hazardous to public health and comprises a Ultra Violet lamp (7) in the colorless plastic ring (6) and a pheromone reservoir (8). The plate with the insect inlet channels (2) houses the Infra-Red sensors (4) and the photographic camera (3), which in turn is housed in a sealed housing (5). The upper part which fits in turn in the previously said watertight housing, houses the photovoltaic panel (1), the microprocessor (13), the Global Position System GPS receiver (10), the Global System for Mobile signal transmitter and receiver module (12), and the Wireless FidelityWIFI (14) transmitter and receiver module, a rechargeable battery (11) and a micro USB socket (9).

Claims

1. A insect capture, identification and counting machine, characterized in that it comprises a support structure housing a photovoltaic panel (1), a micro USB port (9), a rechargeable lithium battery (11), a Global receiver module (10), a wireless Fidelity transmitter and receiver module (14) and a microprocessor (13), incorporated in a waterproof housing (5) which in turn houses the insect inlet channels (2), two Infra-Red sensors (4) and a photographic camera (4), which in turn are incorporated: in a colorless plastic ring (6) that houses the LED lamp Of Ultra Violet light (7), where the pheromone reservoir (8) engages by mechanical action.

2-4. (canceled)

5. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the pheromone reservoir (8) can be constructed of plastic of various colors to allow the attraction of insects of different species.

6. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical engagement between the colorless plastic ring (6) and the pheromone reservoir (8) is otherwise to allow quick and efficient coupling and detachment.

7. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it has insect inlet channels of different diameter and geometric shape, to allow better diffusion of the pheromone and entry of insects of various sizes.

8. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the Ultra Violet LED lamp (7) can be located at another point inside the machine or on the outside, anywhere.

9. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic components of the micro-USB input (9), a rechargeable lithium battery (11), a Global Position SistemGPS receiver module (10), a module (12), a Wireless Fidelity transmitter and receiver module (14) and a microprocessor (13), can be housed anywhere in the machine in any direction and orientation.

10. A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes image and sound capture equipment which allows for easier identification of insect species.

Description

[0010] The present invention is hereinafter described in detail, without limitation and by way of example, by means of a preferred embodiment thereof, shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional representation of the embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention;

[0012] FIG. 1.1 and FIG. 1.2 are schematic representations of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0013] With reference to the figures, the preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, wherein the apparatus is constituted by a set of organs shown in said figures, assembled as described below.

[0014] The present invention is constructed in three distinct sections (5, 6, 8), all in plastic, the upper section with the electronic equipment being housed in a watertight housing (5) in order to protect the electronic components from the action of the elements. The intermediate section 6 is constructed of transparent plastic so that the Ultra Violet light rays emitted by the LED Lamp (7) can disperse, thus fulfilling its attractive insect function with nocturnal flight habits. The lower part of the equipment (8), the pheromone bucket, is constructed of attractive colored plastic to attract certain types of yellow, orange, red or blue collours sensitive insects.

[0015] The insects are attracted to the vicinity of the equipment by the action of the three types of attractants used, Ultra Violets, chromotropic and pheromones, later entering the various insect entrance channels (2), which are on the periphery of the equipment, where they are naturally directed towards the infra red sensor (4) located in the second segment of said insect inlet channel. The said Infra Red sensor awakens the standby mode of the photographic camera (3) which initiates the monitoring mode and as soon as it identifies the passage of an insect in its focus field it registers an image of the insect. Following its path to reach the origin of Ultra Violet light or the sexual or food pheromone, the insect activates the second Infra Red sensor (4), which is positioned in the descending part of said insect entrance channel, thereby indication to the equipment that can associate a count to the collected image. The downstream section of said insect entry channel is slightly extended downwardly to allow the second InfraRed sensor to be housed, and particularly to hinder the exit of the insects captured in said pheromone reservoir, thereby preventing the insect cause crop damage and to avoid duplicate counts that may interfere with the quality of data collected by the equipment. The information collected by the camera and the Infra Red sensor is subsequently stored and prepared for subsequent upload to the database dematerialized by the microprocessor (13). To the data collected by said photographic camera and by the second Infra Red sensor, the spatial location information obtained from the Global Position SistemGPS receiver 10, and the data collection time provided by said microprocessor, is associated. The collected image allows to automatically perform a biometric analysis to the captured insect, according to a set of standards and measures characterizing each species.

[0016] The data communication to the dematerialized integrating platform and the data reception and software update of said microprocessor component is done by means of a Global Sistem for MobileGSM transmitter and receiver module (12) and a transmitter module and Wireless Fidelity receiverWIFI (14). Said WIFI transmitter and receiver module is responsible for the communication between devices, where each of them assumes the signal amplifier function, allowing the set of equipment to be networked even in places where the WIFI signal coverage only reaches one equipment with the optimum signal strength.

[0017] The electronic components of the present invention are electrically powered by a lithium battery (11), continuously recharged by a photovoltaic panel (1) capable of generating sufficient power to provide an autonomy greater than two days of operation of the equipment. The present invention may also be fed electrically through a micro USB socket (9) located on its top. This socket serves simultaneously to make data communication in loco, very important in situations of total power failure or in case of failure or only to maintain and update software of the equipment and said microprocessor module (13).

[0018] The present invention can be used to capture and monitor a large diversity of insects by simply varying or securing the set of attractive means of the same, allowing their use in the most varied cultural sectors, as well as allowing to carry out the control and monitoring of species of insects considered to be harmful to public health, in particular in the control of insects vectors of infectious diseases.