USF researchers' AI mosquito trap aims to help track dengue-spreading mosquitoes
The university says the trap from startup Digitomy identified species with more than 98% accuracy in lab tests, and field validation with Hillsborough County is being prepared.
TAMPA - University of South Florida researchers have built an AI-powered mosquito trap meant to help public health officials track the mosquitoes that spread dengue and other diseases, the university said in an Oct. 23 announcement.
The trap comes from Digitomy, a USF startup. USF says its patented AI identified mosquito species with more than 98% accuracy in laboratory testing. The system also identifies a mosquito's sex and whether it has fed on blood, according to the university.
Mosquitoes drawn in by a light or bait land on a sticky pad, where two built-in cameras photograph them for the AI to identify, USF said.
The technology was created by USF Associate Professor Ryan Carney of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor Sriram Chellappan of the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing.
"The AI in our trap speeds up the process and can lead to more targeted disease interventions, while still being human led," Chellappan said.
The release says Florida faces one of its worst dengue outbreaks in nearly a century. The team has worked with St. Johns County's Anastasia Mosquito Control District and is preparing for field validation with Hillsborough County, USF said.
Source: USF News, "New AI-powered mosquito trap could help curb dengue outbreaks" (Oct. 23, 2026).