In Thailand, motorcycles are an unlikely mosquito repellent
Register for free and continue reading
Join our growing army of changemakers and get unlimited access to our premium content
MotoRepellent is a device that fits onto the back of motorbikes, which could repel mosquito populations from entire cities.
Mosquito-borne infections affect hundreds of thousands every year, from the outbreak of the Zica virus in Brazil to a surge in cases of Dengue fever in South East Asia. But now a device that can be fitted to the backs of mopeds could provide a new way to repel mosquitos from cities in Thailand.
MotoRepellent is a device that fits onto the back of motorbikes, which fill the Thai capital of Bangkok. The cylinder is filled with natural mosquito repellents that are activated by the exhaust pipe of the bike, spreading the insect repellent several meters around the vehicle.
With millions of motorbikes in the capital, the repellent device could crowdsource mass mosquito removal to reduce the impact of diseases in the city and further afield. The technology’s developers claim to have helped repel mosquitos in slums across Bangkok and protected 80,000 people. The project is being promoted by advertising agency BBDO Bangkok and the charity Duang Prateep Foundation, which provides assistant to slums.
We have already seen street lamps used in Malaysia to trap and kill mosquitos. What other existing, city-wide infrastructure and objects can be adapted to have mosquito-repelling functions?