Paris startup Tornyol Systems's 40-gram drone killed moth autonomously
Technology
Tornyol Systems, a Paris startup, just pulled off something pretty cool in pest control: a tiny 40-gram drone that can spot and hit flying insects.
In its first autonomous insect kill on July 14, 2026, the drone tracked down a moth midair using ultrasonic sensors.
While it's mainly designed to go after mosquitoes, this marks a big step toward smarter ways to tackle pests.
Tornyol drone identifies mosquito species
The drone uses ultrasonic sonar and 380 smartphone-style digital microphones to pick up insect wingbeats and even tell mosquito species apart in the dark.
Right now, tracking relies on outside equipment, but Tornyol wants future drones to handle everything on their own.
They're aiming for US shipping targeted for 2027, so swatting bugs might soon be a thing of the past.