Home: Pest Control: Zapper
Bug Radar   (+5, -1)  [vote for, against]
Detects and eliminates unwanted pests in your home

Eliminate the fear of bugs lurking in the small crevices of your home with a small radar which can detect even the smallest sign of movement from across the room. Simply place this radar and attatched monitor in a corner of the room and plug it in (also has a rechargeable long life battery installed if there is no plug outlet nearby). This radar is programmable so that it can exclude any pets or family members from the radar’s view. Once a pest is located the radar’s monitor will show you exactly where the intruder is located, identify the creature (ie. Centipede, mosquito, etc.) and ask you whether or not you would like to destroy it. If your answer is yes than it will immediately emit a thin red laser and roast the bug. This laser is harmless to humans and pets alike since it is too weak to do any harm to large beings. And for you soft-hearted people if you don’t want to kill the pest it will continue keeping track of it until you capture the pest and rid of it yourself.
-- Crayola, Jun 21 2001

actual zapper with simple visual tracking http://www.youtube....watch?v=OM6E3f2lT14
[pashute, Oct 22 2014]

mosquito tracker system similar idea, a year later [pashute, Oct 22 2014]

Problems with this (i.e., things you treat as magic wands that aren't):

Insects are going to be hard to detect. They're small, they probably don't reflect radar waves all that well, and they move erratically (so you can't extrapolate their motion very far).

Determining pets or family members is a nontrivial task, as is identifying the particular type of creature.

A laser that can quickly roast a bug is not going to be harmless to humans and pets, unless painful but trivial burns don't count as harm. It also would have the potential to set fire to your house.
-- bookworm, Jun 21 2001


Hey, a radar tuned to show echoes this small would also allow you to find any stealth bombers flying around in your house (though it would probably identify them as small birds).
-- beauxeault, Jun 21 2001


Why does it have to be a "thin red beam?" Is this only limited to ruby lasers? Why not a nice transparent CO² laser? How about using an ion gun instead? Just charge the little suckers up so when they touch something with an opposite charge or ground...zap. Fun for pets too. There's nothing like watching fluffy's hair stand on end everytime there's a fly in the house.
-- Reverend D, Jun 21 2001


It doesn't have to be a red laser I just thought it would be more comforting for people if they could actually see where this laser was pointed at. Yes, this radar also comes in handy for when your evil sibling decides to launch an attack on you when armed with a stealth bomber. :)
-- Crayola, Jun 21 2001


Hey, you could recycle technology from the original Reagan star-wars concept! Oh wait, that never worked. Carry on.
-- Dog Ed, Jun 21 2001


Actually [Dog Ed] it did. Don't ask me how I know this (well, you could ask, but I can't answer because then I'd have to kill you.)
-- Reverend D, Jun 21 2001


You....You're not really Reverend D, are you? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM--
-- Dog Ed, Jun 21 2001


I've done nothing "with him"...Now "to him" is an entirely different matter.
-- Reverend D, Jun 21 2001


Uh-oh..he's released the hounds on him!!
-- Crayola, Jun 21 2001


Crayola...I'm under the impression that it's something much more sinister!
-- Legend, Jun 23 2001


Shhhhhh...Legend, who told you?? Hmm...there goes my chance at world domination. I mean.... errr.....damn.
-- Crayola, Jun 23 2001



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