Pest monitoring device

A pest monitoring device, the device comprising:

• a housing;
• an optical sensor configured to generate optical data related to an interior surface within the housing;
• a communication means configured to transmit information to an external receiver;
• a battery system, wherein the pest monitoring device is powered by the battery system;
• a tack or adhesive substance on the interior surface of the housing configured to immobilise pests;
• and
• at least one processor or controller in communication with the optical sensor and the communication means, wherein the at least one processor or controller is configured to:
• wake-up the pest monitoring device at a periodic time, wherein the wake-up activates the optical sensor to capture an image as optical data,
• receive optical data from the optical sensor,
• discretize the received optical data into a plurality of discretized blocks to form a preset analysis matrix, each discretized block including optical data corresponding to a separate segment of the interior surface,
• select a block of the plurality of discretized blocks as optical data relating to at least one segment of the interior surface, the optical data relating to the at least one segment being arranged as a plurality of pixels;
• evaluate if the optical data corresponding to the at least one segment meets a pre-determined condition associated with the interior surface by:
• counting the number of pixels of the plurality of pixels which indicate a light intensity below a pre-determined intensity value;
• and
• determining if the number of pixels having the light intensity below the pre-determined intensity limit is greater than or equal to a pre-determined pixel threshold value;
• determine, based on whether the optical data corresponding to the at least one segment meets the pre-determined condition associated with the interior surface, if there is an indication of a pest on the interior surface,
• mark the block of the plurality of the discretized in the preset analysis matrix if there is an indication of a pest on the interior surface,
• select non-analysed blocks from the preset analysis matrix until no blocks remain in the preset analysis matrix,
• transmit information through the communication means to the external receiver if the number of marked blocks is greater than or equal to a threshold number of discretized blocks, and
• set the pest monitoring device to sleep after no blocks remain in the preset analysis matrix.