Update on Deployment of Smart Gravitraps

6 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what are the numbers and locations of Smart Gravitraps that are deployed as part of a trial since late 2018; (b) what are the data collected by the traps and whether they are useful in improving dengue control in Singapore; and (c) whether such traps will be introduced nationwide on a permanent basis.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The National Environment Agency (NEA), together with local start-up Orinno Technology Pte Ltd, has developed a "Smart Gravitrap" prototype. The Smart Gravitrap is similar to a standard Gravitrap, and is able to attract and trap female Aedes mosquitos looking for sites to lay their eggs. In addition, the Smart Gravitrap captures the mosquito’s flight signature to identify its species and gender, and transmits this information to NEA. This allows NEA officers to conduct data collection and analysis remotely, reducing the reliance on manpower to manually collect data from Gravitraps.

NEA is currently preparing for a six-month pilot trial of the Smart Gravitrap prototypes at two construction sites in the second half of 2019. The data collected from this trial will help to further guide the design of the Smart Gravitrap, as it moves into the product development phase. NEA will review the results of the trial before deciding on the operational plans for Smart Gravitraps.