Smart solar-and-wind-powered streelights kill mosquitoes, charge phones, and send disaster warnings

Powered by solar and wind energy, smart streetlights at a university in Malaysia can kill mosquitoes, charge mobile phones, send out flood warnings and are capable of working off the grid in rural areas.

 

Researchers at the University of Malaya who have designed the streetlight aim to replace all conventional streetlights with this eco-friendly and smart streetlight in the region.

 

The streetlight includes a box that attracts mosquitoes by trying to smell like a human by combining UV light and titanium dioxide and little CO2, which is as irresistible as human breath. As soon as the insect flies closer to investigate, a fan sucks it in and kills it

During floods, the streetlight can measure the height of the floodwater and also send reports and warnings via an antenna atop it.

 The streetlight has all the electronics at its top and the bottom is waterproof, which makes it possible to work even in flood situations.

In case of a power cut in the area, residents could also plug in their smartphone or rechargeable batteries to stay connected.

Eight such streetlights have been already installed at the University of Malaya campus in a pilot project and the researchers are all geared up to commercialise it.