The problem with swatting flies by hand is that they're really manoeuverable - taking a shot at them involves temporarily losing sight of them behind the newspaper / dishcloth / swatter / whatever, and if you miss then they're out of sight before you've spotted where they went.

Instead, I propose a network of minature turreted lasers, each with a motion detector and a wifi connection. An app on your phone / tablet / PC / IoT connected toaster processes the signal from the motion detectors to identify a pesky fly. Every laser that has a line of sight then targets it; multiple beams all hit the fly simultaneously. Problem solved. As there are several beams, the intensity of each can be relatively low. The same software tracks bigger moving objects and deactivates any beam likely to hit, say, a human or pet.

Can also be used for indoor target practice using manual override and ping pong ball launcher (not supplied).
-- david_scothern, May 30 2016

Laser Flyswatter http://www.ohgizmo....quito-laser-cannon/
Similar idea [whatrock, May 30 2016]

Widely known to exist https://en.wikipedi...wiki/Mosquito_laser
wiki article [4whom, Jun 02 2016]

TED demo https://www.youtube...watch?v=fwyMuwNYKvI
no kill laser though [4whom, Jun 02 2016]

I think this has been done...
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 30 2016


// the intensity of each can be relatively low. //

That's going to cost you points ...
-- 8th of 7, May 30 2016


safe [-]
-- Voice, May 30 2016


I'd prefer a little bullwhip mounted on a post.
-- FlyingToaster, May 30 2016


^ Or a Phalanx CIWS?
-- whatrock, May 30 2016


More of an artificial frog, except spiky-tongued instead of sticky.
-- FlyingToaster, Jun 02 2016


This is not the same thing as a mosquito laser, I think. Generally a mosquito laser, using a single beam, shoots the mosquito with as little energy as possible to disable, not kill, it. This, with its multiple beams and 3D motion tracking, seems to be a higher-powered device that should kill flies (larger than mosquitoes) instantly. Additionally, a mosquito laser doesn't, AFAIK, avoid shooting at larger animals. (Also, when I was thinking about this exact idea earlier before I found it here—too many flies in the hackerspace recently—I thought it should also take into account reflective surfaces, because those are a major hazard with powerful lasers. Also, in the past, when thinking of similar things, I had thought maybe a sticky light or other low-powered tracking laser could be useful for the motion tracking part.)
-- notexactly, Jul 03 2016



random, halfbakery