# US 10,945,410 B2 · Mission planner for the aerial release of mosquitoes

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- Number: US 10,945,410 B2
- Document ID: US10945410B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/082,306
- Filed: 2017-03-09
- Published: 2019-03-21
- Granted: 2021-03-16
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-10
- Assignees: Senecio Ltd.
- Applicants: Senecio Ltd.
- Inventors: Hanan Lepek; Ralph Breslauer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945410B2

## CPC

- B60P 3/04: for transporting animals {(railway wagons adapted for carrying animals B61D3/163)}
- A01K 1/08: Arrangements for simultaneously releasing several animals
- A01M 1/026: {combined with devices for monitoring insect presence, e.g. termites (bait stations A01M1/2005; detecting other animals in a given area A01M31/002)}
- A01M 1/106: {for flying insects}
- G01C 21/005: {with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching (G01C21/30 takes precedence)}
- G01C 21/3407: {specially adapted for specific applications}
- G01C 21/3453: {Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments}
- B64D 1/00: Dropping, ejecting, releasing or receiving articles, liquids, or the like, in flight (refuelling during flight B64D39/00; launching apparatus for projecting projectiles or missiles F41F1/00, F41F7/00; rocket or torpedo launchers F41F3/00; weapon sights or aiming F41G)
- B64U 2101/00: UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
- B64U 2201/10: autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
- Y02A 50/30: Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change
- B60P: VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS (vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00)
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01M: CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS (appliances for catching swarms or drone-catching A01K57/00; fishing A01K69/00 - {A01K99/00}; biocides, pest repellants or attractants A01N); APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
- B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## Abstract

A method and system for preparing a distribution program for insects comprises obtaining distribution data of a wild population of insects; obtaining distribution parameters including distribution resolution levels of at least one available distribution vehicle; generating a population density map at a resolution level consistent with the distribution resolution level of the vehicle; generating a release map by modifying the population density map in accordance with the distribution parameters; and generating a path using the release map, the path defining dosages of insects to be released at respective locations along the path.

## Claims

### Claim 1

System for distribution of insects over a geographical area, comprising:
a digital distribution mapping unit configured to use available population density data of a wild insect population to generate a digital distribution map showing said population density at a desired resolution level;
a digital release mapping unit connected to the digital distribution mapping unit, configured to transform the digital distribution map, said transform comprising applying distribution parameters, the distribution parameters describing effects of a distribution process on actual insects being released, the transformed digital distribution map thereby forming a digital release map, the transformation modelling effects of distribution such that when said insects are released according to said release map they arrive at points on the ground according to said distribution map; and
at least one distribution vehicle, the vehicle having a characteristic vehicle distribution resolution defining a resolution level achievable by insect release from said distribution vehicle, the vehicle further having a vehicle-specific influence of said distribution vehicle on said distribution parameters, said influence being a measure of how the insects are released by said specific distribution vehicle;
wherein said digital release mapping unit is configured to modify said resolution level and said distribution parameters according to said characteristic vehicle distribution resolution and said influence on said distribution parameters of said at least one distribution vehicle to provide a vehicle modified digital release map; the vehicle modified digital release map providing, prior to release, a release path to be followed by said distribution vehicle, and further defining release dosages of insects to be released at each of a plurality of grid locations along said distribution path, said grid locations and corresponding release dosages being defined in said vehicle modified digital release map at said resolution level modified for said at least one distribution vehicle, said at least one release vehicle being configured to follow said predefined release path, and to automatically release said respective defined dosage at each said grid location along said release path according to commands from said vehicle modified digital release map.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a ground based data gathering unit configured to obtain population density data of a wild insect population around said geographical area.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein said ground based data gathering unit comprises an arrangement of traps over said geographic area and an interpolation unit configured to use measurements taken from said traps to assign population density numbers to an arrangement of cells applied to said geographical area at said resolution level.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein said interpolation unit is configured to assign to each cell a number based on insect captures at neighboring traps, the captures at each trap being inversely weighted for distance of the respective trap.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein said interpolation unit is configured to assign to each cell a number being an average between each trap within the cell.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the cells are equal area release cells.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one distribution vehicle is a ground vehicle, and wherein the release map is modified according to the release resolution and the distribution parameters of said ground vehicle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one distribution vehicle is a piloted aircraft, and wherein the release map is modified according to the release resolution and the distribution parameters of said piloted aircraft.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one distribution vehicle is a pilotless drone, and wherein the release map is modified according to the release resolution and the distribution parameters of said pilotless drone.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one distribution vehicle is an aerial craft with the ability to hover over a defined location, and wherein the release map is modified according to the release resolution and the distribution parameters of said aerial vehicle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the insects to be released are sterile males.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the insects to be released are mosquitoes.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising an update unit configured to obtain additional data about said wild population following distribution and provide an updated distribution plan.

### Claim 14

A method of preparing a distribution program for insects and distributing insects in accordance therewith, the method comprising:
obtaining distribution data of a wild population of insects;
obtaining vehicle distribution parameters including a distribution resolution level of at least one available distribution vehicle;
generating a digital population density map from said distribution data at a resolution level consistent with said distribution resolution level of said at least one available vehicle;
generating a digital release map by modifying said digital population density map in accordance with said vehicle distribution parameters, the distribution parameters modeling effects of an actual distribution process on said insects carried out with said vehicle such that when said insects are released according to said digital release map they arrive at points on the ground according to said digital population density map; and
generating a vehicle path using said release map, the path to be followed by said vehicle and defining dosages of insects to be released at respective grid locations along said path, said grid locations being set according to said vehicle distribution resolution level;
sending said vehicle along said path; and
at each of said respective grid locations, obtaining the corresponding defined dosage of insects and automatically releasing from said vehicle the corresponding defined dosage of insects.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one vehicle comprises a plurality of vehicles, said path containing part paths for each of said respective vehicles, each part path based on a release map and respective vehicle distribution parameters and each part path defining said dosages.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein said distribution parameters for a respective vehicle comprise at least one member of the group consisting of:
parameters arising from the motion of the vehicle during distribution;
parameters arising from a mechanical effect on the insects of a distribution mechanism being used;
parameters arising from local weather in the area of the distribution; and
parameters arising from flying activity of the insects being distributed.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, comprising defining a plurality of release points based on GPS coordinates of a ground-based population monitoring trap; and
at each release point basing a number of insects to be released on captures at said corresponding ground-based monitoring trap.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one vehicle comprises a plurality of vehicles, and each vehicle is assigned a part of said path, wherein said path is distributed between said plurality of vehicles according to a cost function.