Apparatus and method for identifying organisms

An apparatus for detecting and identifying flying or jumping insects in farming or forestry production facilities, the apparatus comprising:

• an illumination module configured to simultaneously illuminate an entire target space, and comprising a light source configured to emit a diverging beam of incoherent infrared or near-infrared light along an illumination direction;
• a detector module comprising an imaging system and an image sensor, the detector module being configured to receive backscattered light from insects inside the target space and to capture a plurality of images of the illuminated target space, the target space comprising one or more insects moving about said target space, wherein the imaging system defines an imaging optical axis;
• wherein the imaging optical axis and the illumination direction define an angle between each other, the angle being between 1° and 30°;
• processing unit configured to:
• detect, from the captured images, a trajectory of an insect moving about said target space;
• recognize a type of insect from the detected trajectory.

A method for detecting Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle;

• comprising:
• simultaneously illuminating an entire target space by an illumination unit, the illumination unit comprising a light source configured to emit a diverging beam of incoherent infrared or near-infrared light along an illumination direction, the target space comprising one or more insects moving about said target space;
• receiving, by a detector module, backscattered light from insects inside the target space, the detector module comprising an imaging system and an image sensor,
• capturing, by the detector module, a plurality of images of the illuminated target space, wherein the imaging system defines an imaging optical axis, wherein the imaging optical axis and the illumination direction define an angle between each other, the angle being between 1° and 30°,
• detect, from the captured images, a trajectory of an insect moving about said target space,
• recognizing the insect as a cabbage stem flea beetle from the detected trajectory.

An apparatus for detecting and identifying flying or jumping insects in farming or forestry production facilities, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• an illumination module accommodated within said housing, wherein the illumination unit is configured to simultaneously illuminate an entire target space and comprises a light source configured to emit a diverging beam of incoherent infrared or near-infrared light along an illumination direction;
• a detector module accommodated within said housing, wherein the detector module comprises an imaging system and is configured to receive backscattered light from insects inside the target space, the target space comprising one or more insects moving about said target space, wherein the imaging system defines an imaging optical axis, wherein the imaging optical axis and the illumination direction define an angle between each other, the angle being between 1° and 30°;
• a processing unit accommodated within said housing;
• wherein the processing unit is configured to
• receive detector signals from the detector module;
• and to
• resolve, from the received detector signals, one or more insect detection events in time and space, each insect detection event being indicative of the presence of an insect flying or jumping inside the target space.