New Bug Zapper Counts and Tracks Every Insect It Eliminates

A new passive bug zapper has been developed with an unusual feature—it counts and tracks every insect it eliminates. The device uses advanced electronics to detect kills and displays the data on a custom dashboard.

The zapper works by sensing electromagnetic pulses through a loop antenna each time a bug is zapped. These pulses trigger voltage spikes, which are picked up by an ESP32-C6 microcontroller. This microcontroller processes the signal and logs each kill.

The project also served another purpose: testing whether an AI assistant could understand and generate electrical engineering schematics. Developers used the bug zapper as a practical case study to explore this capability.

The system now provides real-time kill counts on a dedicated dashboard. This innovation could offer new ways to monitor insect activity or refine pest control methods. The experiment also demonstrated the potential of AI in assisting with technical design tasks.